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There are currently nine head coaching vacancies around the NFL. It seems like every single vacancy requires Marcus Freeman’s name to be mentioned.
Notre Dame’s head football coach has no issue with this. The more this happens, the more team success the Irish are having.
"I hope this is something we have to address every year. I really do," Freeman said Wednesday. "It means we’re having a lot of success right here at Notre Dame."
However, with every mention, it sparks speculation on whether Freeman will eventually depart South Bend, Indiana, for the NFL ranks.
Freeman addressed the NFL speculation during his press conference on Wednesday.
What they're saying:
When asked about the interest the NFL has in him, Freeman took a matter-of-fact approach to responding.
"I’m the head coach at Notre Dame," Freeman said Wednesday. "Individual recognition, individual success, NFL interest, those are all reflections of team success and where this football program is."
That doesn’t quell the questions about his future. That’s why one of the most compelling answers of the day came when Freeman was asked point-blank if he wants to be an NFL head coach one day.
"I mean, I don’t really …" Freeman said with a pause before collecting his thoughts.
Freeman expressed before this answer that he had talked with NFL general managers about what the process was like and what day-to-day operations were like as an NFL coach. This was what he stressed right after.
He’s coached in the NFL, even as an assistant.
"I’ve never done it," Freeman said. "I don’t know enough about it, and maybe sometime in the future, if it’s the right time and it’s what I think is right for me, then maybe I’ll pursue it."
It’s not a yes. It’s not a no. It’s a maybe.
There’s a lot to consider with a decision like this. Freeman has done enough in South Bend to earn him plenty of goodwill at one of the most coveted jobs in college football, which has also shown its willingness to invest in Freeman, invest in Freeman’s staff and invest in making Freeman’s program competitive in a seemingly lawless NIL era of college football.
What's next:
If Freeman wants to be in the NFL, there’s little Notre Dame could do to curb that ambition. If Freeman wants to remain in college football, he’s made it clear how much he loves Notre Dame and Notre Dame has made it clear the university will do whatever it can to retain him.
For now, the focus turns to 2026, where Freeman has already written on social media his intent to "run it back," while ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Freeman is staying at Notre Dame.
"I don’t love wasting time thinking about things that aren’t right in front of me," Freeman said. "I don’t know what I want in however any length of time, how much length of the time, I don’t know.
As it stands, there’s no reason not take Freeman at his word.
Freeman could take action on NFL aspirations one day. But, if Notre Dame’s head football coach says he will be in South Bend for the 2026 season, then it’s pertinent to believe the coach who has built one of the most talented rosters in college football ahead of the 2026 season.
"I know right now that I was convicted and motivated to be the best head coach of the Notre Dame football program as I can be," Freeman said.