While Notre Dame is preparing for its first appearance in a national title game in over a decade, the Chicago Bears are looking to poach their head coach, Marcus Freeman.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the Bears have been researching the 39-year-old coach for months and want to interview him. It’s unlikely Freeman will accept an NFL job interview while the Fighting Irish prepare for their Jan. 20 game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, that won’t stop the Bears from reaching out and offering Freeman a chance to coach at the highest level of football.
For Notre Dame fans, this should sound disconcertingly familiar to when former head coach Brian Kelly got interest from the NFL in 2013. Notre Dame was thoroughly beaten by Alabama in the BCS national championship game, 42-14, and Kelly interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles the next day.
In 2021, Freeman stepped into the head coach role after a year as defensive coordinator and quickly won over the locker room. Lauded for his ability to get the best out of his team, Freeman has been at the head of an impressive postseason run for the Irish.
Coming into the first edition of the expanded College Football Playoff as the No. 7 seed, many thought Notre Dame wouldn’t get past historical powerhouse Georgia. Notre Dame won the Sugar Bowl, 23-10, and then beat Penn State in the Orange Bowl, 27-24, to secure a spot in the CFP title game.
Freeman has gone 33-9 (including playoffs) with Notre Dame and has everything an organization wants in a head coach. While he has plenty to prove in the upcoming title game, he’s already proved capable of guiding his team through adversity after a stunning loss to unranked Northern Illinois University earlier in the season.
Freeman may not be able to pass up the chance to interview for the team that drafted him in 2009. And it’s unknown whether his ultimate goal is to coach at the professional level.
While the Bears are an intriguing team with a talented roster and want to unlock the full potential of quarterback Caleb Williams, Freeman should look to stick with Notre Dame to build a legacy there.
As a top program in the country without a national title since 1988, Freeman could redefine Notre Dame’s perception in the world of college football. It wouldn’t just be a title juggernaut of the past but could be a perennial contender for years to come.
