Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman is in the running for coach of the year
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is rapidly cementing his case for national Coach of the Year honors after leading the Fighting Irish to a dominant 6-0 start and a No. 2 ranking in both major polls.
The program’s defensive unit has been elite, surrendering just 214.2 yards per game—the lowest total among Power Five teams—and holding opponents to a league-low 11.0 points per contest. Offensively, Freeman’s squad ranks fourth nationally in scoring, averaging 44.0 points per outing while outscoring foes by a staggering 198 points through six games, second-best in college football.
His tenure has been marked by sustained success, including a 49-12 record as head coach and a 16-game streak of double-digit wins—the longest active FBS run and tied for third all-time in college history. Freeman’s 2025 campaign alone featured a Heisman finalist in Jeremiyah Love, who became Notre Dame’s first Doak Walker Award winner, alongside two Unanimous All-Americans in Love and Leonard Moore, who also earned Nagurski and Thorpe Award consideration.
With the Irish ranked atop the defensive charts and Freeman’s name already on the Dodd Trophy midseason watch list—award given for on-field excellence and character—his coaching acumen continues to draw widespread acclaim.