Marcus Freeman Responds to NFL Interest After Notre Dame Season
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman met with reporters Wednesday for the first time since early December, addressing a wide variety of topics after Notre Dame’s 2025 season.
Among the most persistent questions surrounding the Fighting Irish in recent weeks are the reports and analysts that continue to link Freeman to multiple NFL head coaching openings.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that Freeman “seriously considered making the jump to the NFL, with multiple teams reaching out to gauge his interest, according to league sources.”
On Wednesday, after having acknowledged that NFL franchises reached out to him and that he had conversations with general managers and front-office executives, Freeman made clear where his short-term future is.
Marcus Freeman is HERE TO STAY at Notre Dame. Coach Freeman made it clear that no reevaluation was necessary. Here his full thoughts below ⬇️#NotreDame#NFL#MarcusFreemanpic.twitter.com/G5uTN5SKEc
— David Owens (@dowenssports) January 14, 2026
“I’m the head coach at Notre Dame,” Freeman said. “Individual success, NFL interest, those are all a reflection of team success and where this football program is.”
Freeman, however, acknowledged that he took the NFL interest in his services as a learning experience and an opportunity to extract as much as possible from his interviews with NFL personnel.
“I’ve used some of the interest from the NFL to personally gain wisdom from GMs and front-office executives,” Freeman said. “I utilize these conversations to gain knowledge for myself to be the best coach I can be of the Notre Dame football program.”
Freeman confirmed that, at minimum, he is returning to Notre Dame for the 2026 season. He referenced a social media post from late December in which he wrote, “2026…run it back,” after Sports Illustrated reported the head coach had informed at least two NFL teams he was not interested in leaving.
“I didn’t have to re-evaluate,” Freeman said. “The only statement I put out was ‘let’s run it back.’ I was intentional about that.”
While Freeman stopped short of declaring Notre Dame as his long-term destination indefinitely, he emphasized that he does not plan his career far into the future.
“The future is uncertain. It’s the reality of life,” Freeman said. “I don’t love wasting time thinking about things that aren’t right in front of me.
“Right now, I’m convinced and motivated to be the best head coach of the Notre Dame football program as I can be.”
The Fighting Irish finished 10-2 in 2025 and narrowly missed the College Football Playoff. Freeman enters 2026 with a 43-11 record as Notre Dame’s head coach and a roster bolstered by six transfer portal additions and the fourth-best recruiting class, according to 247Sports.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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