The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are appearing in their first National Championship game since 2012 and aiming for their first National Championship victory since 1988. It won’t be easy though, as the No.

Marcus Freeman's success at Notre Dame has put him on the radar for NFL teams looking for a new head coach, but he's not interested in talking about

Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman said he has put “zero thought” into coaching in the NFL despite reported interest this week from the Chicago Bears.

There’s a history of Cincinnati influence in South Bend, including Kelly, who spent three seasons with the Bearcats before taking the Notre Dame job. A year before Kelly poached Freeman, he hired Bearcats defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, a Cincinnati alum who was a teammate of Freeman’s at Wayne High School outside of Dayton.

Here is an in-depth look at Marcus Freeman, who has piqued the Bears' interest following his historic season at Notre Dame.

ESPN and ABC’s Kirk Herbstreit says Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman has achieved legendary status in his first three seasons as the Fighting Irish’s head coach.

(EDITORS NOTE: caption correction) Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Marcus Freeman is one of the biggest names in college football right now — not just because the Notre Dame head coach has led the Fighting Irish to the brink of its first national championship since 1988, but because of how he has done it.