This Marcus Freeman-to-the-NFL chatter isn't going to quiet down anytime soon. Right now, the Notre Dame coach is being linked to the New York Giants, but there might be other NFL jobs opening up (looking at you, Arizona, and Cleveland and maybe you, Tampa Bay, Las Vegas, Tennessee and Cincinnati) and Freeman is going to be mentioned for any of them.
So rather than get caught off guard as Christmas approaches, who could Santa Claus bring to South Bend if Freeman decides to chase those NFL dreams? Here are three names that should be at the top of every Irish fan's wish list.
Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman is expected to be a top candidate for the Giants HC position, per @MikeGarafolo. pic.twitter.com/mx4fDybzAM
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) December 21, 2025
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt head coach
The first call is going to Lea, who was at Notre Dame from 2017-2020 as linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. And if Lea says no, call him a second time and make him say it again. Lea is doing a great job of turning Vanderbilt into the Notre Dame of the SEC, so imagine what he could with the real thing and not have to deal with that SEC schedule. Obviously, it would be tough to get Lea away from his alma mater and hometown, but Notre Dame is Notre Dame.
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Brady's name will certainly be brought up for various NFL jobs and if the Bengals open up, he could be the favorite to go there and reunite with Joe Burrow. But if it looks like his NFL options are not what he wants, Notre Dame could be the perfect fit. He's still very young (36) and familiar with the college game. Expect any quarterback to be excited to play under Brady.
Manny Diaz, Duke head coach
There are a few names that could go here, like Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham or Texas A&M's Mike Elko or even Alabama's Kalen DeBoer, but with the clock ticking,I don't think Diaz would take much more than a second to say yes to Notre Dame's offer. He has a chance to take Duke to consecutive nine-win seasons, which is quite impressive for the Blue Devils. Diaz also coached at Miami and had a 21-15 record, but he was never really supported there. His time at Penn State under James Franklin made him a better coach and it' shows.
Other possibilities: Al Golden, Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator; Jedd Fisch, Washington head coach; P.J. Fleck, Minnesota head coach.