Notre Dame football: Potential replacements for Brian Kelly
Notre Dame football: Potential replacements for Brian Kelly
Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator
Make no mistake, Notre Dame should promote Marcus Freeman to head coach. Whether or not they actually do that is another story. However, there are a few really good reasons to make this promotion.
The first is the simple fact that Freeman is a defensive genius. He’s going to make sure that Notre Dame plays with aggression and energy on defense. He won’t let the Irish lose their identity on that side of the football. That’s incredibly important because when a coaching staff turns over there is plenty of room for failures and cultural shifts. A perfect example is the coaching turnover at Temple, where they went from “Temple Tuff” to quit before the game even began.
On top of that, Freeman is an elite recruiter. Many of the currently committed players to Notre Dame have committed to play for him specifically. With the current transfer rules, active players could hit the portal to follow him wherever he goes from here. All of that would decimate the talent and depth of the Notre Dame roster, even more than it is already going to be hit. Freeman can hold the class together, which is vital to winning against elite teams.
Pete Sampson of The Athletic is reporting there is momentum for him to get the job too.
If Notre Dame has to make a move at head coach, sources indicate there will be some momentum among decision-makers at the University to elevate Marcus Freeman.
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) November 30, 2021
First-time head coaches generally don’t work here, but Notre Dame is in a more stable place today than previous hires.
The knock-on Freeman is that he doesn’t have head coaching experience. However, he knows the Midwest and he has great ties to make hires that will help him succeed. He’s smart and driven. All in all, he’s the perfect candidate.