Marcus Freeman Shuts Down NFL Rumors, Commits to Notre Dame With New Contract

Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman has put an end to a month of daily speculation by confirming he will remain in South Bend, despite continued NFL interest.

Freeman will head into the 2026 season with a restructured contract, a move Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua publicly signaled earlier this month.

“I would never say we wouldn't match anything when it comes to Marcus,” said Bevacqua on December 9. “Everybody has eyes on Marcus. College has eyes on Marcus. 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.” 

In four seasons at the head of the Notre Dame program, Freeman has a record of 43-12, which includes the last three seasons of double-digit wins. 

Freeman isn’t concerned about the money, but he’s committed to coaching and developing Notre Dame’s student-athletes on and off the field. 

The Fighting Irish might have been snubbed out of the College Football Playoff in 2025, but Bevacqua knows what he has in Freeman.

“He's the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop,” stated Bevacqua. ‘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.” 

Bevacqua has backed up those words by making Freeman one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. Along with former athletic director Jack Swarbrick, he has also taken significant steps to enhance the program’s infrastructure and support system.

Notre Dame is set to open its new state-of-the-art football facility this summer, and the university continues to work with the program to increase access to undergraduate transfers, including players such as Riley Leonard and Elijah Hughes.

“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 said. “I can say with 100% 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’s national championship game appearance last season served as a statement to the college football world and only reinforced what Notre Dame’s decision-makers already believed.

“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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