Marcus Freeman isn’t going anywhere-at least not yet.
Notre Dame’s head coach made it official with a succinct post on X, confirming he’ll be back for the 2026 season. For Irish fans, that’s a sigh of relief and a major win for a program that’s knocking on the door of a national title.
Continuity at the top matters, especially when you’ve got a roster built to contend. And make no mistake, Freeman’s Irish are built to contend.
In four seasons at the helm, Freeman has compiled a 43-12 record. That’s not just solid-it’s elite.
Notre Dame has posted three straight 10-win seasons, and two of those campaigns are likely to finish inside the Top 10. The 2024 season was a statement year.
The Irish earned their way into the College Football Playoff and made the most of it: a 27-17 win over Indiana, a dominant 23-10 Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, and a gritty 27-24 comeback over Penn State in the Orange Bowl. They ultimately fell to Ohio State in the national championship, 34-23, but still finished the year ranked No.
- That’s the kind of season that puts a program back in the national spotlight-and keeps it there.
Fast forward to 2025, and Notre Dame wrapped up the regular season ranked No. 9 in the AP poll. But despite a convincing 49-20 win over Stanford to close the year, the Irish were left out of the playoff.
The committee dropped them to No. 10 after that blowout win, and then again to No. 11 despite not playing in championship weekend-while Miami, also idle, leapfrogged them. It was a frustrating finish, no doubt.
But the numbers tell a different story. Notre Dame was one of only three teams in the country to rank in the Top 5 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to the FEI.
That’s the kind of balance championship teams are built on.
And speaking of building, Freeman has Notre Dame absolutely rolling on the recruiting trail. The Irish landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, per On3 and Rivals, and the 2027 class is already off to a fast start.
That’s not just stacking talent-that’s setting up sustained success. Freeman and his staff are assembling one of the most talented rosters in college football, and that roster gives Notre Dame a real shot at making another playoff run-and maybe finishing the job this time.
This offseason announcement from Freeman likely comes after ironing out a new contract extension with Notre Dame. Multiple sources indicate the fifth-year head coach has agreed to a deal that includes another raise following back-to-back Top 10 finishes. That’s not just a reward-it’s an investment in a coach who’s become one of the hottest names in the game.
Freeman’s stock is sky-high right now. Over the past two seasons, his name has been connected to some of the biggest openings in both college football and the NFL-Penn State, Florida, Michigan, LSU, and even the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans.
That kind of attention doesn’t come by accident. It’s a reflection of how Freeman is viewed across the country: a proven winner with a modern approach and the charisma to lead a storied program.
Of those rumored connections, the Giants job was the only one that seemed to generate mutual interest. And if Freeman ever does leave South Bend, it’s easy to imagine the NFL being the next step. But for now, Notre Dame holds onto its leader-and that’s huge.
With Freeman back and the roster loaded, the Irish are positioned to make another serious run in 2026. The goals haven’t changed in South Bend.
The standard is national titles. And with Marcus Freeman still leading the charge, that goal remains very much within reach.