Notre Dame football: Marcus Freeman under the microscope in Year 1
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has a new head coach in 2022, and in his first season at the helm, Marcus Freeman is under the microscope.
At most universities, being named the head coach comes with the expectation that there is going to be some growing pains early on. Most coaches are brought in due to the program struggling in a big way and have to bring in a lot of their own recruits that fit their scheme before any real winning starts.
However, when you are named the head football coach at Notre Dame, that kind of buffer does not exist. Marcus Freeman is taking over a team that went 11-1 during the regular season last year, and while they lost the Fiesta Bowl to Oklahoma State, they were still regarded as one of the top-6 teams in the country.
Now, with many of his elite players returning, and strong groups on both sides of the ball, Freeman is under the microscope in Year 1. He is not taking over a struggling program and is not lacking in talent, what he is lacking is the experience on the job.
For Freeman, this is his first head coaching job on any level, and he will make his regular-season debut against the No. 2 team in the country, Ohio State, which happens to be his alma mater. Talk about storylines!
Notre Dame football is expected to thrive in Year 1 under Freeman
Yes, Freeman is inheriting a strong group of players, and yes, he has tremendous coaches around him, but this is Notre Dame football. The Irish also take on a tough 2022 schedule, one that not only includes Ohio State but also Clemson and USC, two teams that are ranked in the top 15 by the AP Poll going into the season.
With any first-year head coach, especially one making their debut as a head coach, there are going to be bumps in the road. Unfortunately for Freeman, he is not going to get the same kind of leeway that he would have gotten anywhere else, and maybe that is good for him.
He is a guy who expects perfection and does everything the right way, so it is possible he is the best possible person to enter such a tough situation. His career will start in primetime against Ohio State, and it could end up being a magical ending for Freeman and the Irish.
All told, this was a great hire, and the future is certainly bright in South Bend.