Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman is in the running for coach of the year
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Notre Dame head football coach, Marcus Freeman, is one of the best in the entire country. Notre Dame’s 6-0 start and No. 2 ranking says a lot about the job he’s doing on the field, and that comes with accolades.
Freeman Selected To Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman has been named to the 2026 Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List. The Dodd Trophy celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.
The award was established to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. Freeman, who won the award in 2024, is one of four previous Dodd Trophy winners on the watch list, joining Curt Cignetti (2025), Willie Fritz (2022) and Kirk Ferentz (2015).
Notre Dame (6-0) is ranked No. 2 in both the Associated Press poll and the US LBM Coaches Poll. The Irish lead the nation in total defense, allowing just 214.2 yards per game – more than 25 yards fewer than the next-closest team. Notre Dame is also allowing just 11.0 points per game, the fewest among teams that have faced at least four Power Four opponents this season. Offensively, the Irish rank fourth nationally in scoring, averaging 44.0 points per game. Notre Dame has outscored its opponents by 198 points through six games, the second-best scoring differential in the country.
Freeman owns a 49-12 record as a head coach and has led Notre Dame to 16 consecutive double-digit victories, dating back to Sept. 20, 2025. The streak is the longest active run of double-digit wins in the FBS and the longest in program history, while ranking tied for third all-time in college football history.
Freeman entered the 2026 season after leading the Irish to a 10-2 record, with a final Associated Press ranking of No. 10. He coached 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist Jeremiyah Love while also having two players earn Unanimous All-American honors in Love and Leonard Moore. Under Freeman’s leadership in 2025, Love was named Notre Dame’s first-ever Doak Walker Award winner, which honors college football’s top running back. Additionally, Moore was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award for the national defensive player of the year and also the Thorpe Award for college football’s top defensive back.
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