Marcus Freeman Agrees To Notre Dame Extension

Marcus Freeman‘s name has been mentioned in advance of the 2025 NFL coaching cycle, but he has a new deal in place to keep him at the college level. Freeman has agreed to an extension with Notre Dame, ESPN’s Heather Dinich reports.

Freeman’s deal is believed to be a four-year extension, meaning he will remain under contract for six seasons, per Dinich. He has been in place as head coach of the Fighting Irish since the end of the 2021 season when he took over from Brian Kelly. Freeman has enjoyed a successful run since then, albeit one which included losses in his first three games at the helm (an unprecedented feat in the program’s history).

Overall, Notre Dame has gone 30-9 under Freeman, including an 11-1 mark in 2024. That performance earned the team a spot in the College Football Playoff; the Fighting Irish will play Indiana in the first game under the new 12-team CFP format on Friday. In advance of that contest, Freeman’s future with the program has been assured.

The 38-year-old was listed as one of the coaches from the college ranks worth keeping an eye on with respect to NFL interest as early as this offseason. In particular, the Bears’ vacancy was considered one Freeman might have found himself on the radar for. Instead, Chicago will look elsewhere for Matt Eberflus replacement candidates.

As Jim Harbaugh‘s Michigan tenure showed, the future of college coaches linked to NFL opportunities can change in short order and remain in limbo on an extended basis. It will be interesting to see if Freeman continues to draw interest at the pro level over the coming years as expectations will remain high for Notre Dame moving forward. As things stand now, however, he is set to remain in his current position for years to come.