Since Michigan fired Sherrone Moore, there have been plenty of opinions offered on who should replace him in Ann Arbor. One former Notre Dame coach has been mentioned several times in Tommy Rees. Does anyone think Marcus Freeman would even listen if UM gave him a call? Joel Klatt does.
"You’ve got to force people to say ‘No,’ you've got to," Klatt said during Tuesday's episode of The Joel Klatt Show podcast. "So there’s a few names that I would force them to say ‘No.’ And listen, they likely will, and that’s OK. But to start there, you have to force them to say no, because you’re Michigan. And Michigan is a premier job in college football."
Klatt isn't wrong; the Wolverines are a premier job. However, what he said next should make all Notre Dame football fans do little more than giggle.
Not every 'big swing' is grounded in reality and this Marcus Freeman theory certainly isn't
"So, who are those guys that I would call them and force them to say no, who also would fit? … My first call? I’d probably call Marcus Freeman and just force him to tell me no," Klatt said. "Because he is a great fit at Michigan. Now he’s also a great fit at Notre Dame, and Notre Dame is right now trying to fend off (teams from) the NFL that are trying to talk with and lure Marcus Freeman away into the National Football League. And there’s a possibility that might happen in the coming weeks. But if I’m Michigan, I’m forcing Marcus Freeman to tell me no."
The rest of Klatt's list wasn't much better. He also listed Oregon's Dan Lanning, Mike Elko at Texas A&M, and Kalen Deboer from Alabama as the silliest names.
All of those guys have their programs in better shape than Michigan. And while the Wolverines are one of the most historic programs out there, they're also a bit of a mess these days.
The Big Ten team just fired a coach who most people knew was on thin ice for months. The AD is under fire after yet another scandal has hit the school, and they aren't even done dealing with their cheating scandal issues. Moore was supposed to be suspended for a game in 2026.
Why ... in the world would Marcus Freeman even think about leaving Notre Dame for Michigan? Why would Manning leave Oregon? Why would Elko leave his job? Why would Deboer? Klatt's list is goofy, it's nonsensical, and it's built for engagement bait only.
Notre Dame fans can ignore this one right away. If Marcus Freeman leaves South Bend, it won't be for Ann Arbor.