The Marcus Freeman coaching rumors have already begun following the CFB Playoff letdown, and there seems to be some real smoke 

Marcus Freeman’s name continues to be mentioned in head coaching openings.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman greets his players during a Notre Dame football spring practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in South Bend.

Marcus Freeman’s name being mentioned for head coach openings isn’t new to Notre Dame fans. The last two offseasons have been littered with those types of rumors, both on the NFL and college levels. Now that the season has concluded for the Fighting Irish, after the controversial College Football Playoff decision to keep them out, you can bet that speculation will begin once again. 

It didn’t take long, with some legitimate smoke beginning on Sunday after all the news dropped. With Notre Dame’s season over, access to Freeman is a lot easier now. According to New York Giants beat writer Art Stapleton from NorthJersey.com, the Giants have a lot of interest in Freeman. They are pushing to get the Irish head coach in for an interview, and beat writers are already discussing buyout money, apparently. 

As I’ve stated in the past, there are only a few jobs that would worry me in terms of Freeman leaving Notre Dame eventually. That includes the Ohio State Buckeyes, Freeman’s Alma Mater, and specific NFL jobs with a solid foundation. He isn’t a coach looking to leave, and he definitely wouldn’t for a job with a limited ceiling. 

Making sense of the Giants’ interest in Freeman 

Through four seasons as the head coach at Notre Dame, Freeman holds an overall record of 43-12. That is incredibly impressive, considering this was the first head-coaching job for the former Cincinnati defensive coordinator and Ohio State linebacker. Even while learning on the job, Freeman has continued to improve year after year. At just 39 years old, Freeman’s best days as a head coach are still very much in front of him. 

With Freeman’s name being mentioned so often this offseason, most Notre Dame fans will probably quickly dismiss this interest from the Giants. The key difference is that there haven’t been any public statements about him potentially interviewing for any other job. Stapleton is a very respected reporter on the Giants beat, and his making that type of statement isn’t just nothing. 

I have been anticipating news of a Freeman extension with Notre Dame, with so much interest in him surfacing, but until it does, speculation will continue about job openings out there. At the end of the day, I don’t think that the Giants are a major threat for Freeman right now. He isn’t an overly emotional person, so I doubt he makes an impulsive decision after the frustration of how this 2025 season ended. 

The most interesting part of the conversation is that nobody knows what Freeman’s long-term goals are in the coaching world. While he’s an outstanding college coach, is the NFL the best fit for him? Is it even something he’s overly interested in, or would he prefer to stay on the college level? 

Those are some factors that could determine Freeman’s path. I just don’t expect a massive move this offseason and am confident that the aforementioned contract extension with the Fighting Irish could be on the horizon. 

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