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