Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman lost in the National Championship game against Ohio State, 34-23. The game nearly got out of hand before the Fighting Irish made a late push to give the Buckeyes a scare, but that was all they could manage. Regardless of the outcome, Freeman made history by becoming the first Black and first Asian American coach to reach the college football championship.
Advertisement
Many people already knew Freeman would become the first Black head coach to coach in the big game. His father, Michael, is African American and was an Air Force veteran. Few would know, however, that Freeman’s father was stationed in South Korea, where he met his wife, Chong. The couple met in 1976, and she later moved back with Freeman’s father, Michael, to Ohio, where Marcus was born and raised.
It’s a great story that gives Freeman his unique heritage mix, which he has come to appreciate. He also says that it’s an honor to be the first coach of his kind to reach the national championship, and hopes that others like him also get their chance.
“It is an honor, and I hope all coaches – minorities, Black, Asian, white, it doesn’t matter, great people – continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this,” Freeman told ESPN. “But this ain’t about me. This is about us. We’re going to celebrate what we’ve done because it’s so special.”
The message was a good one and what we’ve come to expect from Freeman as a coach. He’s known as a passionate leader with an ability to connect with his team. He’s also built a strong culture at Notre Dame since he’s taken over in 2021. However, it’s a career that was on the verge of disaster for him when he first took the job.
Freeman took over for Brian Kelly in 2021 who decided to leave the program before their Fiesta Bowl game. Notre Dame would ultimately lose to #9 in the nation, Oklahoma State, but Freeman was given a pass because of the sudden coaching change. Then again, in his first full season, he lost to Ohio State and then was upset by Marshall, making him the first ND coach to ever begin his career with three straight losses.
The team would recover and finish 8-4, but it was an early wake-up call for Freeman to get his act together. In 2023, the team finished 9-3, followed by excruciatingly painful losses that kept them out of the playoffs. Yet, this season, Freeman led the Irish to the championship — a great rebound that has undoubtedly earned him some time with the program, and possibly offers from other teams around the country.
It’s been a long road filled with twists and turns for Freeman in the past three years. But when looking back, he’s improved the team’s record every season and has a 4-1 record in bowl games.
We’ll see what he can do with the team in the offseason. Notre Dame should be one of the top teams going into next season. They own the 13th overall recruiting class right now as they’ve gotten 12 four-star players to commit. Freeman and the Fighting Irish should have a shiny future.
