Marcus Freeman reacts to son Vinny's commitment to Cornell wrestling

Marcus Freeman had a proud dad moment when his son Vinny Freeman committed to wrestle for Cornell. The younger Freeman received Division I looks from the likes of Michigan as well amid his successful high school career in Indiana.

The Notre Dame head coach had a unique perspective being on the flip side of the recruitment this time around. Now, Vinny Freeman is off to wrestle in the Ivy League at an elite academic and wrestling institution.

When asked about the process, Marcus Freeman said his son leaned on his mother as well. It was a total family affair.

“I’m proud of him, I am. I’m proud of him,” Marcus Freeman said. “And you know, it was unique being on the other side, being a father trying to guide your son, when a lot of times I wasn’t on a lot of visits, it was his mom. And, you know, at the end of the dayI said the greatest thing in sales is to figure out who’s the champion? Mom liked Cornell, and somehow Vinny chose Cornell. I’m proud of him though, he’s earned that right through some hard work, and look forward to seeing what’s in the future for him.”

The 175-pound standout on the mat made his commitment shortly after the conclusion of his junior season, where he placed third in the IHSAA state wrestling tournament in February. Vinny Freeman finished this past season with a 37-3 overall record, with one of those losses coming in the semifinals of the state tournament before going on and winning the consolation bracket. He won 16 of his last 17 matches of the season and has an overall record of 101-17 as a high school wrestler.

“I was intentional about making sure I kept the staff updated through what I was seeing as a father that could relate to our staff as recruiters,” Freeman said. “And I think more importantly, when Vinny was saying he was ready to commit, I just want to know why. You know, tell me the reasons why, and I kind of share with the staff some of the things that he said … We know these things, but it’s a great reminder of what’s important to young people and what’s important to their families and what they hear. Everybody’s different, but the one of the most important things is to figure out who’s helping that person with the decision and what’s important to them. 

“You know, one of the things that was important to Vinny was the people. He really viewed the people, the wrestlers, the recruits, the coaches, as he said to me, he’s like, I feel like they’re family, and that’s a great reminder for us as coaches. We can sell Notre Dame, we can sell our football program, sell this university, but today, the young people want relationships, too, and that’s a great reminder for us all.”

In a state with a strong reputation for its high school wrestling scene, Vinny Freeman has been largely dominant through three years at the varsity level. As a freshman, he tallied a 30-10 record and followed that up with a 34-4 record in 2024.