Marcus Freeman to be named Notre Dame head coach

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish moved quickly to replace Brian Kelly, and are staying in-house to do so.

Notre Dame will promote defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to the head coach position, as reported by Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports, among others.

Multiple reports also indicated that offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has agreed to remain at Notre Dame.

Freeman is in his first season as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator. He has made a strong impression this season as both a schemer and recruiter. The 35-year-old had previous stints as a defensive coordinator at Purdue and Cincinnati before joining the Fighting Irish. Freeman has a reputation as a rising star in coaching circles, and is considered an excellent recruiter. Kelly is a huge fan of Freeman, and reports suggested he had been trying to get Freeman to join him at LSU.

Freeman gets the job despite rumored interest in other more experienced coaches. It sounds like Freeman was also the preferred choice of Notre Dame’s current players as well.

Photo: Oct 2, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defensive Coordinator Marcus Freeman enters Notre Dame Stadium before the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports