Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman to Hire Colts Assistant Amid Shane Steichen Uncertainty
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Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to hire Indianapolis Colts assistant Charlie Partridge as their new defensive line coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.
Partridge, who turned 52 on Dec. 7, is a longtime college defensive line coach. He initially rose to prominence at Wisconsin in the late 2000s and early 2010s while working with future Houston Texans superstar J.J. Watt. He has also served as a defensive line coach at Eastern Illinois (2002), Pittsburgh (2006, and again from 2017 through 2023), and Arkansas (2013).
Freeman recently reiterated that he plans to remain at Notre Dame amid speculation linking him to potential NFL openings. The New York Giants and Tennessee Titans have already fired their head coaches, and additional vacancies could follow as soon as Sunday, Jan. 4, when the regular season concludes.
Partridge has spent the last two seasons as the Colts’ defensive line coach. It remains unclear whether Indianapolis will retain head coach Shane Steichen, who is 25-25 through three seasons. The Colts opened this year 8-2 but have since lost six straight games and will miss the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. Indianapolis has not won a postseason game since 2018.
What to Know About Charlie Partridge and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Partridge went 9-27 as Florida Atlantic’s head coach from 2014 through 2016. However, he recruited and coached several future NFL standouts during that span, including Cincinnati Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson and Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
Partridge has also worked with Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Calijah Kancey at Pitt and former New England Patriots pass-rusher Trey Flowers at Arkansas. At Pittsburgh, defensive ends Patrick Jones II and Rashad Weaver earned consensus All-America honors in 2020.
Notre Dame added 24 players during December’s early signing period, including three five-star prospects: pass-rusher Rodney Dunham (Charlotte, N.C.), tight end Ian Premer (Great Bend, Kan.), and safety Joey O’Brien (Wyndmoor, Pa.). As of Jan. 3, 247Sports ranks the Fighting Irish’s recruiting class No. 4 nationally, trailing only USC, Alabama, and Oregon.
Notre Dame opens the 2026 season Sunday, Sept. 6, against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. As of Jan. 3, dates have been announced for eight of the Fighting Irish’s 12 games, including matchups with Michigan State (Sept. 19), North Carolina (Oct. 3), and Miami (Nov. 7). Dates for games against SMU, Syracuse, Stanford, and BYU will be announced later.
Freeman and Notre Dame finished 10-2 this season, marking the program’s eighth 10-win campaign in the past nine years. The Fighting Irish are still seeking their first national championship since 1988.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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