The players made clear they weren’t keen on someone coming in, ripping apart what had been built and installing an entirely new culture and infrastructure. That stretch features a slew of players proud of what they built, and there’s a sense that next season could again be College Football Playoff-caliber, as there’s expected to be a higher talent level than this 2021 team. Notre Dame players were protective of the culture they’d built in recent years, as Notre Dame has gone 44-6 the past four years. As Notre Dame officials entered the hiring process, a few things stood out as they surveyed the players about the head coach position moving forward. The first place to point to for Freeman’s hiring would be connection. Among Freeman's selling points: Connections and continuity His 3-3-5 defense took some time to gel during his first season in South Bend, but Notre Dame finished the season allowing an average of 5.75 points the final four games and is 11-1 with a shot at the College Football Playoff.īut the reason that Notre Dame officials targeted Freeman and feel comfortable with him far transcends tactics. Starting with the obvious, Freeman emerged as one of the sport’s top young coordinators and coaching prospects. But behind the scenes at Notre Dame, AD Jack Swarbrick and schools officials saw enough during Freeman’s 11 months on campus to convince them that he could handle the breadth of challenges that come with the Notre Dame job. Notre Dame is one of the most demanding jobs in college football. And he clearly has a unique ability to connect with college kids.”
He’s been mentored by some of the best in the business. “He’s got high integrity, intelligence and work ethic. “He’s got all the tools to be the next great coach in college football,” Chun said. (You can thank university bureaucracy and George O’Leary for the delay.) But it’d be stunning if Freeman didn’t end up as Notre Dame’s next head coach, as the same qualities that permeated a decade ago when he chose the sideline as a profession were what convinced the Notre Dame brass. The deal may not be finalized for a few days as there’s a formal vetting process that must happen before an offer is put into place. Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman leaves the field after defeating Purdue at Notre Dame Stadium.
0 kommentar(er)
