The Irish are ensuring head coach Marcus Freeman sticks around for the long term just days ahead of Notre Dame football facing off with the Indiana Hoosiers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs.
On Sunday night, the school announced it had reached a new deal with Freeman. The contract extension comes amid increasing reports of Freeman getting attention from the NFL. Specifically, his name has been mentioned early and often in conjunction with the Chicago Bears.
While specific details of the new contract haven't been released, NBC Sports said it's a "long term extension" that will make Freeman "one of" the highest paid coaches in the sport. It's a fitting reward for someone who saw his Notre Dame football team stumble a bit out of the gate in 2024 with an upset loss to Northern Illinois. However, since that loss, the Blue and Gold have been one fo the most dominant teams in college football.
Notre Dame football locks down Marcus Freeman long term
ESPN's Heather Dinich chimed in shortly after reports surfaced of the extension to say she has heard it's a four year extension. That would mean that Freeman now has six years left on his contract with Notre Dame.
Freeman also issued a statement showing one of the reasons why the program is so dedicated to him. While thanking the university for his raise and extended job security, he also called out what has been unprecedented levels of support for th
"I am grateful for the support of the Board of Trustees, led by John Veihmeyer, President Fr. Bob Dowd, C.S.C., and Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua. The investment they continue to pour into our program is invaluable to our student-athletes and staff. This commitment goes well beyond myself, as they are dedicated to ensuring all aspects of our program are competitive within the upper echelon of college football.”