Marcus Freeman isn't going anywhere.
As about half a dozen Power Conference programs fired their head coaches and began the search for a replacement, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are far from worried about whether or not their leader would stick around.
During an appearance on "Wake up the Echoes," a Notre Dame Football podcast, Freeman made it clear exactly why he was sticking around.
"This place... has enhanced my view on life and my view on a lot of different things," Freeman said. "If it wasn’t for being here, maybe I would have never understood certain things."
Freeman went on to talk about how it's the people, the students, and the places that make Notre Dame so special, especially for athletes like Adon Shuler, an Irvington, NJ native who was sitting next to his head coach during the podcast.
Marcus Freeman should be taken off any team's HC candidate list
The appreciation that Freeman has for the Fighting Irish was readily apparent during the episode, and it should only further calm ND fans as other powerhouse programs look to poach a highly-rated head coach from another team.
Freeman's love and admiration for Notre Dame was reflected by Shuler, a sophomore safety for the Fighting Irish.
"It teaches you that life is not going to wait for you," Shuler said. "And you learn that quickly here... you appreciate it more, knowing that you're going to have to work every day of your life. Notre Dame does that."
Freeman has been with the program since 2021, when former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly brought him on as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Since then, he has led the Fighting Irish to a 38-12 overall record and an appearance in last year's National Championship game.
Shuler, who is a redshirt sophomore, has already amassed 105 total tackles (60 solo), eight pass deflections, four interceptions (138 yards and one touchdown), and three forced fumbles. Simply put, he has been electric since he joined Freeman's roster in 2023.
This weekend, Shuler, Freeman, and the rest of the Fighting Irish will continue to... well, fight... to return to the CFPs as they take on the Boston College Eagles.
No. 12 Notre Dame (5-2 overall) and Boston College (1-7 overall) are scheduled to kick off on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 3:30 p.m. ET. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN.