Just two days after Brian Kelly shockingly left Notre Dame to become head coach at LSU, Notre Dame has reportedly found Kelly’s replacement.
Marcus Freeman will be named head coach at Notre Dame, according to several reports.
Freeman, 35, was the Notre Dame defensive coordinator and linebackers coach this season, after holding the same position at Cincinnati from 2017-20.
The former NFL fifth-round pick — by the Chicago Bears in 2009– has been viewed as one of the hottest coaching prospects in the country, and he was immediately rumored to be one of the favorites for the Notre Dame job once Kelly left. Additionally, it was reported that Kelly and LSU wanted to make Freeman the highest-paid coordinator.
So, Notre Dame just choosing to go with Freeman isn’t all that shocking, even with the Luke Fickell rumors.
Additionally, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is staying at Notre Dame.
Here’s a sampling of how the college football world reacted to the Freeman news:
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.