David Pollack, Rece Davis discuss early expectations for Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame

Marcus Freeman is just days away from opening his first season as head coach of Notre Dame. Him taking over for Brian Kelly might have been the most dramatic coaching switch in the nation during the offseason. That has left plenty, even ESPN’s David Pollack and Rece Davis, on opposing sides on what Freeman can accomplish this fall.

Pollack and Davis discussed Freeman’s outlook on the ‘College Gameday Podcast,’ with Pollack’s initial thoughts centering around how Freeman is a coach to believe in over the long term, but not this early considering how tall the task is in Year 1.

“I think I trust Marcus Freeman. I think Marcus’ future is bright, but this year I just think is gonna be a lot. You’ve seen a lot of young coaches come in and have success. Don’t get me wrong, but you’re talking about a young guy with very little experience,” Pollack said. “Just like all of us, when you’re young in your profession or a certain job, I think it’s tough. It’s tough to learn it, especially at that job. (Notre Dame) is a national brand that requires a lot of you. He’s killing recruiting and he’s doing a great job, but this year I don’t think they’ll finish that high. … They’ll finish maybe Top-15, Top-20 but they won’t finish Top-10.”

While Pollack thinks Freeman may be in a tad over his head in 2022, everyone on the show agreed on his future. They think Freeman has already proven he can be the man in South Bend for years to come. Davis said a lot of that faith comes from who Freeman is as a person. He sees his demeanor as one that aligns with the Irish’s program.

“I think Marcus has an aura about him. There is humility there but there’s also confidence. I think that he is well suited to Notre Dame. I’ve talked to people around that program. He listens to people, he asks the right questions, he’s strong when he needs to be,” said Davis. “Notre Dame’s a different kind of place. His demeanor and his approach to this job for a guy who’d only been there for a year, he has quickly, very quickly understood what it’s about and done a great, great job up to this point.”

Regardless of the record, this season will take a toll on Freeman. David Pollack and Rece Davis aren’t the first and won’t be the last to expect early struggles for Notre Dame. However, they also see the long term benefit of having him in charge. If he can survive his first season, they believe the Irish will reap the rewards of that for years to come.