Pete Bevacqua Makes One Thing Clear: Marcus Freeman Is the Perfect Coach for Notre Dame
Pete Bevacqua is a smart man.
Sure, the Notre Dame athletic director should be a smart man, but Bevacqua is also intentional, especially when it comes to making one of the university’s most important figures feel valued.
On Friday, Bevacqua made it known that one reason Notre Dame is in a position to remain independent is that Marcus Freeman is at the head of the program.
“When you have alignment like we do at this university, when you have a coach like Coach Freeman, and I joke with people like if we went into a laboratory and had to create the perfect coach for Notre Dame, you'd walk out with Marcus Freeman,” said Bevacqua.
“We're blessed to have him here in Notre Dame. He's a big part of why we can stay independent, because you have to be relevant when you're independent. If you're not winning, you become irrelevant in a second. And we've got to keep winning. We’ve got to keep these seasons going like they have here the last few years.”
Freeman’s maturity also stands out to Bevacqua. The 39-year-old just finished his fourth season, but carries himself like a 15-year veteran who has been through every situation.
There might not be a better example of how Freeman deals with a bumpy road than Sunday afternoon. Notre Dame had been snubbed out of the College Football Playoff and while emotions were high, Bevacqua saw a leader when the program needed it the most.
“He's a competitor,” explained Bevacqua. “He's a fighter. He'll use this as motivation at the right time. He's got a long memory. This will work to our advantage next year, knowing what I know about Marcus. At this moment, it's taking care of his team. These student-athletes on that team, what's best for them?
“We talked about it on Sunday and Marcus was talking to Mike Denbrock and Ron Powlus and let's do something fun this week for this team. They need something fun. Celebrate this team, honor this team. He'll have conversations with every one of the student athletes on the team. That's where his head is right now. He won't forget. Like I said, he has a long memory. This will be motivation for him. That's for sure going forward.”
Bevacqua isn’t the only one who has noticed Freeman’s talents. New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has seen Freeman rise through the coaching ranks and has even made a run at him a few times.
"Marcus Freeman is an absolute stud,” Vrabel stated on Wake Up Barstool. “Tried to hire him multiple times in my coaching journey and Notre Dame is in good hands with Marcus Freeman."
And yes, the NFL is well aware of Freeman’s success at Notre Dame. That’s what happens when you make a run to a national title and outcoach Kirby Smart.
Bevacqua is well aware of the interest and takes pride in making sure Freeman is not only taken care of financially at Notre Dame, but given the resources to take the program to the next level.
“One of my main obligations and responsibilities to this university is to make sure Marcus wakes up every day knowing that he is supported and valued by Notre Dame,” Bevacqua stated. “I can say with 100 percent certainty, he feels that way. Notre Dame is totally aligned around the importance of college football for Notre Dame. We're totally aligned on how he is the perfect coach for Notre Dame.”
Freeman has also taken it on himself to become much more than a football coach at Notre Dame. He supports other sports programs, speaks at academic seminars and has made sure his family is also present around campus.
“It's tough to say he's more than the Notre Dame football coach because being the Notre Dame football coach means so much, but he's more than the Notre Dame football coach,” Bevacqua said. “He's part of this university. He's part of the fabric of this university. So is Joanna, so are his kids. He's everywhere. He's at, as you've heard me say before, he's at soccer games, women's and men's basketball games, hockey games, talking to students. He's an amazing individual and an amazing leader.”
Bevacqua knows what Notre Dame has in Freeman, which is a significant positive if you’re a fan of the blue and gold.
“I would never say we wouldn't match anything when it comes to Marcus,” explained Bevacqua. “Everybody has eyes on Marcus. College has eyes on Marcus. The NFL has eyes on Marcus. I bet Hollywood has eyes on Marcus, right? I wouldn't be surprised if he's in the next, you know, Leo DiCaprio movie with Martin Scorsese. Marcus is Marcus. All the credit to him. He deserves it.
“He's the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop. One of the greatest college coaches in the country. People forget how young he is. So I get it, I get it and that's a compliment to him and his success and the way he represents himself and the way he prepares and who he is and how he talks.”
Freeman’s contract isn’t public information, but on Tuesday, Bevacqua did make it clear that Notre Dame is making him a top priority.
“We feel blessed that he's our coach,” said Bevacqua. “I make sure that he knows that he will be where he deserves to be. That is at the top, top, top tier of college football coaches when it comes to compensation every year. I view his contract, although a multi-year contract is a living, breathing document that we will revise every year as need be to make sure he's where he deserves to be.
“He knows he has that commitment from me and, more importantly, from the university.”
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