Notre Dame’s first-time head coach has agreed to a second contract.
On Sunday night, ESPN first reported what had been in the works for the past two weeks. Marcus Freeman has agreed to a new six-year contract that is believed to be among the most lucrative for college head coaches without a national title on their resume.
Freeman originally signed a six-year deal in December 2021 following the departure of Brian Kelly to LSU on a 10-year contract with $95 million in guaranteed money. Now the 38-year-old Freeman may be in a similar tax bracket as Notre Dame continues to invest in its football program at unprecedented levels.
“I am grateful for the support of the board of trustees, led by John Veihmeyer, president Fr. Bob Dowd, C.S.C., and director of athletics Pete Bevacqua,” Freeman said in a prepared statement. “The investment they continue to pour into our program is invaluable to our student-athletes and staff. This commitment goes well beyond myself, as they are dedicated to ensuring all aspects of our program are competitive within the upper echelon of college football.”
The Freeman Era continues ☘️#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/qrhe4tROKH
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 16, 2024
Last winter, Notre Dame signed offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and extended defensive coordinator Al Golden on similar four-year deals valued at nearly $2 million annually. It also redid the contract of general manager Chad Bowden after a strong push from Michigan.
This offseason was always going to be an inflection point for Notre Dame and Freeman as he hit the midpoint of his original deal. With a 10-game winning streak at his back and a home game in the first 12-team College Football Playoff coming on Dec. 20 against Indiana, the marriage between Freeman and Notre Dame seemed to grow stronger this season, even after accounting for the home loss to Northern Illinois in early September. Freeman is 30-9 since taking over for Kelly.
Multiple NFL insiders had begun to float Freeman’s name for potential vacancies at the next level, although a source close to Freeman indicated the head coach was not interested in making that jump. The Chicago Bears were the most specific team rumored to be interested in Freeman, but the feeling was not mutual from the head coach.
“I love this place, I love these guys, I love 18- to 22-year-olds,” Freeman said on “The Outta Pocket Podcast” last week. “The impact you can make on young people is so special. I don’t know what it’s like in the NFL, right? I spent one year there, I don’t know what that life is like. This is the life I’ve been coaching for 15, 16 years now, and it’s a joy.”
If there was a legitimate threat for Freeman’s attention, it could have come from his alma mater Ohio State, should the Buckeyes part ways with Ryan Day or Day decides to move on from Columbus. Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork is on record that Day’s job is safe, even after four consecutive losses to Michigan.
Regardless, Notre Dame didn’t wait to find out what was going to happen (or not happen) at Ohio State in advance of the College Football Playoff. At the end of the regular season, Bevacqua marked Christmas as a potential finish line for getting the contract done. He cleared that mark by 10 days after meetings with Dowd, university trustees and Freeman’s representation.
Combined with contract commitments to the football program, Notre Dame is also investing in brick-and-mortar enhancements, with a new operations center under construction across the street from the indoor practice facility that’s barely five seasons old. Shields Halls is expected to open in the fall of 2026, creating 150,000 square feet of space that will boost the team’s training, nutrition and recovery programs.
Freeman’s new contract means he’ll be in South Bend to see those doors open.
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(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
