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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe University of Notre Dame is working on a deal to promote defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to head coach to replace Brian Kelly, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because nothing had been finalized, though the first piece of Notre Dame’s plan to regroup after Kelly left for Louisiana State University earlier this week had already fallen into place.
Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees informed Notre Dame he would remain with the Fighting Irish instead of joining Kelly in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Notre Dame released a video on Twitter of Rees telling the team he was staying put.
The next step is elevating the 35-year-old Freeman, who would become the second Black head football coach at Notre Dame after Tyrone Willingham (2002-04).
The person told AP that Kelly also had interest in bringing Freeman to LSU. Kelly left Notre Dame after 12 seasons and with the Fighting Irish still in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff. He was introduced Wednesday as the Tigers’ coach.
Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, who was scheduled to attend a CFP expansion meeting in Dallas, instead spent Wednesday in South Bend, Indiana, meeting with Rees and Freeman.
The 29-year-old Rees, a former Notre Dame quarterback, returned to the Irish as quarterbacks coach in 2017 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2020.
Freeman, 35, joined Kelly’s staff this year after being hired away from Cincinnati. Landing Freeman, who was also being pursued by LSU last offseason, was considered a major victory for Kelly and Notre Dame.
Freeman, a former Ohio State linebacker, is considered a rising star in college coaching and in his short time with the Irish he has played a major role in assembling a recruiting class that’s ranked No. 5 in the country by 247 Sports with two weeks to go before signing day.
On the field, Freeman and Rees have helped the Irish go 11-1 in what was expected to be a rebuilding year after last season’s playoff appearance. Notre Dame is sixth in the CFP rankings.
Freeman spent four seasons at Cincinnati as defensive coordinator for Luke Fickell, helping the Bearcats become a playoff contender.
The Bearcats are fourth in the CFP rankings heading into the American Athletic Conference championship game on Saturday and have a chance to become the first team from outside the Power Five conferences to reach the playoff.
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Let’s Go Champ!!! The Team loves this!!!!!
Kelly just proved everyone’s fears that there’s no integrity or loyalty in the world of sports.Its all about the money and its nothing for one university to offer a coach more money than the one he’s with.You build up a team and the kids look to you as an example but you tell these same kids to be a team player and fight hard for each other and then YOU the coach leave before the season is decided.Bad timing coach’s don’t care what his excuse for leaving the team during a play off run is.
It appears less about the money and more about Kelly wanting to compete at the highest level. Kelly’s ND teams have been great but clearly a notch below Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State. With respect to timing, when is a good time to leave? The regular season is over and LSU probably doesn’t want to wait ~40 days until the playoff is complete and the best recruits are gone.
Does anyone remember what happened that last time ND hired a head coach who had never been a head coach on the collegiate or Pro level?
Kelly will be able to recruit much better at LSU, if his players don’t make it to the NFL they just go home an be a crack dealer. At ND they were going to Wall Street or Silicone Valley.
Kelly has NO loyalty to his players only his ego. Did the same thing to Cincinnati.