Marcus Freeman facts for kids
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Freeman in 2024
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| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Notre Dame |
| Conference | Independent |
| Record | 33–10 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | January 10, 1986 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 2004–2008 | Ohio State |
| 2009 | Chicago Bears |
| 2009 | Buffalo Bills |
| 2009 | Houston Texans |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2010 | Ohio State (GA) |
| 2011–2012 | Kent State (LB) |
| 2013–2015 | Purdue (LB) |
| 2016 | Purdue (co-DC/LB) |
| 2017–2020 | Cincinnati (DC/LB) |
| 2021 | Notre Dame (DC/LB) |
| 2021–present | Notre Dame |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 33–10 |
| Bowls | 6–2 |
| Tournaments | 3–1 (CFP) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
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Marcus Louis Freeman (born January 10, 1986) is a well-known American football coach. He used to play as a linebacker. Today, he is the head coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish team.
Before becoming head coach, Freeman was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Notre Dame in 2021. He also worked as an assistant coach at other universities. These include the University of Cincinnati, Purdue University, Kent State University, and Ohio State University.
Freeman played college football for Ohio State. He was chosen by the Chicago Bears in the 2009 NFL draft. He was part of the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans teams. However, he never played in a regular NFL game.
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Early Life and School Days
Marcus Freeman was born in Dayton, Ohio, at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Medical Center. His mother, Chong Freeman, is from South Korea. She met his father, Michael Freeman, who is African American, while he was serving in the U.S. Air Force. His mother moved to Ohio in 1976. Marcus also has an older brother named Michael Jr.
Freeman went to Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio. In his junior year, he made 152 tackles, which included 29 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He also had eight sacks. As a senior, he was considered one of the top three players in Ohio. He was named to the Parade All-American Team. In his senior year, he had 127 tackles, four sacks, and caused three fumbles. He also recovered three fumbles.
Marcus was a starter for four years and was chosen for the All-Ohio team twice. He was also on the track and field team. He ran in the 4 × 100 metres relay and threw the shot and discus. When he was a freshman, his track and field team won the OHSAA championship.
College Football Career
Marcus Freeman played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a strong player throughout his time there.
Playing as a Freshman (2004)
In his first year, the 2004 season, Freeman played in 13 games. He made four tackles.
Taking a Redshirt Year (2005)
Freeman took a redshirt year in 2005. This means he didn't play in games to recover from a knee injury. He got hurt in the first game against Miami (OH).
Becoming a Starter (2006)
During the 2006 season, Freeman played in 13 games and started 11 of them. He made 71 tackles. He was also second on the team with six pass break-ups and two interceptions.
All-Big Ten Recognition (2007-2008)
In 2007, Freeman was a starting linebacker for his second year. He was also part of three special teams units. He was named second-team All-Big Ten. He had 109 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss.
In 2008, Freeman started all 13 games. He made 84 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss. He was again named to the All-Big Ten second team. He also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for his good grades. After this season, Freeman decided to enter the 2009 NFL draft.
Overall, Freeman played in 51 college games and started 37 of them. He was a two-time Second-team All-Big Ten player. He finished his college career with 268 tackles, which placed him 19th on Ohio State's all-time tackle list.
Professional Playing Career
Joining the NFL (2009)
The Chicago Bears picked Marcus Freeman in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft. However, he was waived by the team on September 4.
Later, on September 22, 2009, Freeman joined the Buffalo Bills practice squad. He was released by the Bills on October 5.
On November 4, 2009, Freeman signed with the Houston Texans.
Retirement from Playing
On May 1, 2010, Marcus Freeman retired from playing football. He retired because of a heart condition called enlarged heart.
Coaching Career
After his playing career ended, Marcus Freeman began coaching.
Starting at Ohio State (2010)
In 2010, Freeman worked as a graduate assistant at Ohio State. This was his first coaching job.
Coaching Linebackers (2011–2016)
In January 2011, Freeman became the linebackers coach for Kent State. He stayed in this role until 2012.
On January 18, 2013, Freeman was hired as the linebackers coach for the Purdue Boilermakers. In 2016, he was promoted to co-defensive coordinator. He helped make the linebackers group strong at Purdue. He coached future NFL players like Danny Ezechukwu and Ja'Whaun Bentley.
Leading the Defense at Cincinnati (2017–2020)
On December 13, 2016, Freeman joined the Cincinnati Bearcats football staff. He became their defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He helped turn the Bearcats into one of the best defenses in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
In 2018, Freeman's defense was a top team in the AAC. They led in rushing defense, scoring defense, and total defense. They were also among the top 15 teams in the NCAA FBS in these areas. In 2019, the Bearcats again led the AAC in scoring defense. They were also among the top three in rushing and total defense.
Before the end of the 2020 season, Freeman turned down several job offers. He chose to stay at Cincinnati. These offers included returning to Ohio State as linebackers coach, coaching linebackers for the Tennessee Titans, and being defensive coordinator at Michigan State. Many experts saw Freeman as a rising star in college coaching.
In 2020, Freeman was a finalist for the Broyles Award. He was also named the 247Sports Defensive Coordinator of the Year.
Becoming Head Coach at Notre Dame (2021–Present)
On January 8, 2021, Freeman was hired as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was the top choice for head coach Brian Kelly.
First Season as Head Coach (2021)
After the 2021 regular season, Brian Kelly left Notre Dame. He became the head coach for LSU. On December 3, 2021, Marcus Freeman was chosen to replace him. He became the 32nd head coach in Notre Dame's history. Freeman immediately took charge. He coached the Irish in their Fiesta Bowl game. They lost to No. 9 Oklahoma State.
Building the Team (2022)
Freeman's 2022 season started with losses to No. 2 Ohio State and Marshall. This made him the first Notre Dame head coach to start his career with three losses.
He got his first win the next week against the California Golden Bears. Freeman's Irish team finished the regular season ranked 19th with an 8–4 record. This included a win over No. 5 Clemson. They played in the 2022 Gator Bowl, where they beat South Carolina 45–38.
A Step Forward (2023)
Many thought the 2023 season would be a big step forward for Freeman’s Fighting Irish. They brought in Sam Hartman, a top quarterback from Wake Forest. The team started the season ranked 13th. They began with four wins in a row against Navy, Tennessee State, North Carolina State, and Central Michigan. This moved them up to 9th in the rankings.
They then lost a close game at home to Ohio State, 17–14. The Irish had only 10 players on the field twice during Ohio State’s game-winning drive. They bounced back with an exciting win over No. 17 Duke. But they lost the next game to No. 25 Louisville. One week later, the Irish had a big 48–20 victory over No. 10 USC and their star quarterback Caleb Williams.
After a break, Freeman’s Irish beat Pittsburgh. They then lost to unranked Clemson. They finished the regular season with wins against Wake Forest and Stanford, ending with a 9–3 record. They played No. 19 Oregon State in the Sun Bowl, winning 40–8. This made their final season record 10–3, and they were ranked 14th.
The 2023 season saw strong play from running back Audric Estime, quarterback Sam Hartman, tight end Mitchell Evans, and safety Xavier Watts. However, the wide receiver position struggled, especially after early injuries to Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie. When Evans was injured against Pittsburgh, the team had trouble passing the ball.
After the season, Freeman changed his wide receivers coach. He hired Mike Brown on December 10. He also brought in quarterback Riley Leonard from Duke through the transfer portal.
Historic Season (2024)
Freeman’s 2024 team started strong. They won 23–13 against No. 20 Texas A&M. However, they then lost 16–14 to Northern Illinois. This was a big upset, as Notre Dame was a huge favorite to win. It was the first time an AP Top 5 team lost to a team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
After that loss, the Irish went on a 10-game winning streak. They beat No. 15 Louisville, No. 24 Navy, No. 19 Army, and had a 49–35 win against USC in their renewed rivalry game.
The Irish earned the 7th seed in the 2024–25 College Football Playoff. They hosted their first-ever home playoff game at Notre Dame Stadium. Freeman won his first playoff game with a 27–17 victory over 10th-seeded Indiana.
Notre Dame then played the 2nd-seeded Georgia Bulldogs in the 2025 Sugar Bowl. The game was rescheduled due to an event near the stadium. Notre Dame beat Georgia 23–10. This was the first time in the program's history that Notre Dame had a 13-win season.
Notre Dame then beat the 6th-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2025 Orange Bowl. This win sent them to the national title game for the first time in 12 years. Marcus Freeman became the first African American and the first Asian American head coach to reach a Division I national college football championship. They lost the championship game to the Ohio State Buckeyes 34–23.
Head Coaching Record
Marcus Freeman's overall record as head coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is 33 wins and 10 losses.
- 2021 Season: 0 wins, 1 loss (coached only the bowl game)
- 2022 Season: 9 wins, 4 losses (won the Gator Bowl)
- 2023 Season: 10 wins, 3 losses (won the Sun Bowl)
- 2024 Season: 14 wins, 2 losses (reached the College Football Playoff National Championship)
Personal Life
In 2010, Marcus Freeman married Joanna Herncane. They had been dating since college. The couple has six children. In 2022, Freeman became a member of the Catholic Church.
