Notre Dame fans are starting to sweat just a little bit as their head coach, Marcus Freeman, is being talked about a little too much when it comes to all of these job openings. Obviously, Freeman isn't going to go somewhere like UCLA or Oklahoma State, but programs like Florida and Penn State could find a way to offer a sweet deal.
While Freeman has continuously talked about how much he loves Notre Dame and loves the team and everything the Fighting Irish stand for, he still has yet to outwardly say he would turn down any offers. This has Notre Dame fans wondering if Freeman would take the right deal.
If that is the case, then Notre Dame has to take a page out of Indiana's playbook in order to keep Freeman in South Bend.
Notre Dame should give Marcus Freeman a nice raise in order to keep him in South Bend
When Curt Cignetti was the biggest name floating around the minute former Penn State coach James Franklin was fired, Indiana knew it had to do everything in its power to keep their second-year head coach in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers gave Cignetti a new eight-year deal that would give him approximately $11.6 million a year, a huge raise. This all comes after the program's biggest win as well as the Hoosiers took down No. 3 Oregon in Eugene. The contract was warranted as Cignetti now has an 18-2 record so far with the Hoosiers.
So, if Notre Dame wants to make sure Freeman doesn't go anywhere, they may need to pony up and sign Freeman to an even bigger deal than what he has now. Granted, the Fighting Irish just gave Freeman an extension back in December of 2024, keeping him around until 2023 for a six-year deal, making around $9 million a year.
That is less than what Cignetti is now making at Indiana, and Freeman led the Fighting Irish to a National Championship after that extension. Yes, Notre Dame lost the big game, but as long as Freeman is there, recruiting will always be top-notch, and the Fighting Irish are most likely going to keep winning.
It might be time for Notre Dame to open its checkbook and make the move it needs to in order to keep Freeman right where he is.