It’s rational to think Notre Dame is merely at the beginning of a special few years. The Irish firmly project as a program ahead of schedule. HC Marcus Freeman has only been head coach in South Bend for a total of 3 years so far and already has matched his predecessor Brian Kelly’s best season. Freeman’s individual trajectory is pointed skywards. The program as a whole is well-positioned to keep their forward momentum going too. Once the despair of losing the Natty fully settles down, Notre Dame can take solace from their 2024 season. However, Freeman can’t stop to take pride, rest on their laurels. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
Stumbling blocks are an inevitable byproduct of success. For Marcus Freeman, his success bred substantial interest from the NFL. The jobs not done yet, and so the Irish were able to keep hold. However, they couldn’t quite do so with other key personnel. In what was equal parts expected and problematic, a mass exodus ensued out of South Bend. Many contributors to the Natty run have left for greener pastures than even the leprechauns could conjure. All three levels of the hierarchy have been breached. The front office, the coaching staff, and the players themselves. Every foundational pillar has been shaken, and Marcus Freeman is now tasked with keeping what he’s built intact. But the Fighting Irish stay fightin’ and it starts with the culture coach Freeman has cultivated.
Marcus Freeman is a people’s coach. Anyone who’s helming a fabled program of this ilk is sure to have a grasp of the Xs and Os. But what makes Freeman one of the most exciting new coaches on the block, and perhaps the biggest reason for his success, is his ability to get the best out of his players. A Riley Leonard, for instance, plays out of his skin and well beyond his perceived talent because he sees coach Freeman on the sideline. As someone who was a player quite recently, Freeman understands how to relate to them. After being named the 2024 George Munger College Coach of the Year, Marcus Freeman spilled the tea on what makes him so good, so quickly.
In an interview posted on the Maxwell Football Club IG handle, Freeman said “The passion and energy you have to have…it’s important. It’s contagious. I remember being a player and my coaches who had the most energy, the most connection with you usually got the most out of you. So I want to be that guy for them. At the end of the day, you have to push players out of their comfort zone and those are things that I remember the greatest coaches did to me,” Freeman was also asked how he has gained the trust of his players in such a short amount of time. He reckons it’s about effort and reciprocation of time more than anything else.
“I think you have to be intentional about it. No.1 is [to] spend time with your players. Trust is earned, I always say that. Love is a choice but trust is earned. We have to earn the trust of each other. That comes through being intentional about the time we spend together…being a man of character,” said Marcus Freeman. This clarity at an early juncture of his life in the coaching realm goes to show why he has garnered the rep he has. The Munger COTY is one in a potentially long list of hardware coach Freeman will earn the way things are shaping up. That said, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame being tested by their arch-nemesis
Amid the aforementioned mass exodus, perhaps the biggest loss for Marcus Freeman and the Irish was GM Chad Bowden. His mastery on the recruitment front was what built the framework for Freeman’s success. Bowden now works the same role at arch-rivals USC over on the Pacific coast. He’ll now contend for the Jeweled Shillelagh trophy from enemy lines and this isn’t a “Trojan” Horse situation either.
So how did USC manage to pull this off? With all due respect, trading South Bend for LA is enticing in itself. But there’s also the small matter of the Trojans quadrupling his $250k salary to a cool $1 million. Bowden will just have to contend with the traitor moniker he’s about to be tagged with. But alas, that’s secondary. Two reporters with a rooting interest in Notre Dame are voicing concern about what they’re missing.
Over the “Notre Dame Football on Blue & Gold” YouTube channel, Mike Singer and Kyle Kelly addressed this move. “The MO during the Chad Bowden era was to load up fast and, you know, try to keep those guys committed and get a fast start. Chad Bowden likes the number one class this time of year.” He sure does. USC currently has the top-ranked recruiting class for 2026. In fact, they’ve prized away 2 players who were trending towards Freeman’s Notre Dame. Bowden has snatched 4-star D-lineman Simote Katoanga and 4-star wide-receiver Trent Mosley from within the clutches of the Irish. They’ve lost 7 of their 19 commits since March, which can’t be coincidental.
Losing Bowden is definitely a setback. That said, games are still played on grass. Till the time Notre Dame has Marcus Freeman leading the troops, the program will continue to make noise.
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