Marcus Freeman returning to Notre Dame: Fighting Irish coach vows to 'run it back' amid reported NFL interest

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman signaled his intention to return to South Bend in 2026 and not pursue NFL opportunities after publicly posting "run it back" Monday afternoon on social media. 

Freeman has agreed to a restructured contract that puts him in the "top tier" of compensation among college coaches after turning down interest from two NFL franchises, Sports Illustrated reports. The New York Giants were among the teams in pursuit of Freeman, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported earlier this month.

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said this month he was working on keeping Freeman in tow for the long haul, but understood why interested NFL parties had interest in one of college football's fastest-rising coaches. Freeman's been relatively quiet this month about NFL murmurs, only once responding to a question about potential interest from various franchises, including the Giants.

"Well, I think the gratitude you have for being mentioned by an organization like that. I have a lot of respect for all NFL teams, but the history of the Giants is tremendous," Freeman said before Christmas. "It reminds me of the honor I have to be in the position I'm in. You wouldn't have said that statement if I didn't have this job and we weren't having success. It's a reminder for me that the people in our program, the work they put in results in an output that's successful."

Bevacqua previously acknowledged "everybody has eyes on Marcus" given his 43-11 overall record as the Fighting Irish coach, which includes a national championship appearance.

Bevacqua is a former executive at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and was the chairman of NBC Sports, so he has vast experience at the negotiating table. Freeman signed a lucrative extension ahead of last season's playoff appearance and the Fighting Irish were prepared if an NFL team were to try and swoop in.

"I would never say we wouldn't match anything when it comes to Marcus," Bevacqua said. "I make sure that he knows that he will be where he deserves to be, and that is at the top, top, top tier of college football coaches when it comes to compensation every year. I view his contract –– although a multi-year contract –– as a living, breathing document that we will revise every year as need be to make sure he's where he needs to be. He knows he has that commitment from me, and more important from the university."

Freeman was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach in 2021 after Brian Kelly's departure for LSU. On the heels of last season's run to the national championship, a 34-23 loss to Ohio State, Freeman led the Irish to a 10-2 record this season. After starting 0-2, Notre Dame reeled off 10 consecutive victories before being controversially kept out of the College Football Playoff. After that decision, Notre Dame decided not to play in a bowl game. 

Notre Dame should enter 2026 as national title contender

Despite losing running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, a couple of offensive line captains a few notable defenders off this season's 10-2 squad, the Fighting Irish will be on the short list of national title frontrunners next fall.

Quarterback C.J. Carr returns for his second campaign as the starter while there's a strong nucleus of budding talent around him. A favorable slate should assist Notre Dame in getting back to the playoff for the second time in three years as well, given the Fighting Irish's memorandum of understanding signed last spring which guarantees a spot in the bracket if they rank inside the top 12 of the final rankings.

Not all dates are finalized, but Notre Dame plays only three true road games — North Carolina, Syracuse and Purdue — and has neutral-site contests against Wisconsin and Navy.

And with the transfer portal opening Jan. 2 with resources to put toward talent acquisition, Freeman should be able to fill any areas of need ahead of spring camp. Notre Dame's incoming 2026 signing class is rated as the fourth-best recruiting haul nationally, per 247Sports, and includes three five-star prospects -- edge rusher Rodney Dunham (Charlotte, N.C.), tight end Ian Premer (Great Bend, Kansas) and safety Joey O'Brien (Wyndmoor, Penn.).