One of the top college coaches in the game will not transition to the NFL in 2026. Marcus Freeman announced on Monday that he is remaining at Notre Dame for next season. 
Freeman drew interest in the head coach hiring cycle last year, and he was firmly on the radar of teams set to be in the market for a new HC in 2026. There were lingering questions about his desire to leave the Fighting Irish for an NFL gig, though. Based on today’s news, Freeman will continue in his current role for at least one more year.
Situations such as this one often lead to high-profile college coaches leveraging NFL interest into a more lucrative deal with their schools. This one is no different. Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated reports Freeman has agreed to a restructured contract with Notre Dame, one which moves him into the “top tier” of compensation for NCAA coaches. This agreement has also tacked on one new year to Freeman’s deal; he is therefore under contract through 2031.
Of course, the term remaining on a college coach’s pact rarely proves to be an insurmountable hurdle for NFL teams when a mutual desire exists regarding a hiring. In any case, Freeman’s name is no longer on the list of candidates for the 2026 cycle. The 39-year-old informed two NFL suitors he had been in contact with about his decision to stay put before making it public, per Forde’s report.
Notre Dame has gone 43-12 under Freeman, reaching the national title game last season. Things did not go according to plan in 2025, with the Irish posting a 10-2 record and being left out of the College Football Playoff. The team elected not to take part in a bowl game, meaning attention is focused entirely on the 2026 campaign. Freeman will stay in South Bend for at least that long before undoubtedly emerging once more as a strong candidate to take charge of an NFL team.
St. Louis Battlehawks just hired Ricky Proehl as new HC
btw
I suppose they chose him over Patrick Stewart (also bald) because he was in 4 SB games. MVP on the team will probably be Rodrigo Blankenship.
Agreed
No one cares.
Plus, the Pirates suck.
Pirates winning the division and UFL is here to stay
I like the UFL sticking around, personally. It’s good for football to have options.
This year is going to be better atmosphere with all new stadiums & coaches
Columbus: HC Tedd Ginn Jr.
Birmingham: AJ McCarron
St. Louis: Ricky Proehl
Orlando; Coach Becht
Louisville: Chris Redmond
DC: Shannon Harris
Dallas: Rick Neuheisel
Still waiting on Houston
He wants to be a part of the creampuff schedule that ND has next season. He’ll pile up the victories against an extremely soft schedule, and make his resume look good.
I wouldn’t say NDs schedule for 2026 is extremely soft. They also aren’t the only big school that looks for a cupcake opponent. Texas A&M went off as 54 point favorites against Samford Nov 22.
link to fbschedules.com
You are correct in that instance. Every big school has a patsy on their schedule every year. ND has multiple every year.
They better win though because the AD pissed off the selection committee and most of college football with that temper tantrum.
Notre Dame has told them many times they weren’t interested in joining their exclusive clubs, so they shouldn’t be surprised when the invitations stop coming their way.
Considering how many NFL teams we have that change head coaches every 2-3 years, why would he want to leave the security of success in a place like Notre Dame, just to be the next guy fired by a team like the Jets? I don’t blame him for staying put.
Using your logic, a coach that has the security of success at the high school level should never consider advancing to the college level where he might encounter tougher competition and setbacks.
That literally does happen a lot
Big fish in a little pond
Probably a good decision. Not in regards to Freeman’s abilities, but why give up a great position at a marquee college program for the trials and tribulations of a harsh assignment for a possibly unsuccessful pro team? Freeman’s young. There is still plenty of time for opportunities if he keeps coaching well at Notre Dame.
There will possibly only be foolish owners looking to make the wrong call once again….calling in the future who will roll the dice on a college coach, who has never had a job in the NFL, gets the pick of the litter as far as recruits at ND, and has ZERO NFL coordinator connections….he is smart enough to know that his current gig is worth far more than anything the NFL has to offer….this guy gets press like he’s the second coming and doesn’t deserve it……poster child for the Rooney rule…
rocky7: your grudge against college coaches is goofy.
The NFL wouldn’t let him hand pick his schedule, and have an automatic playoff birth.
If I understand the terms of the extension, Freeman will be in his mid-40s when he can pursue a job in the NFL or elsewhere. Nicely done.