Marcus Freeman reacts to Jack Swarbrick resignation: 'I was in complete shock'

Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman was caught off guard last week by the news that longtime athletic director Jack Swarbrick plans to step down in 2024. The Fighting Irish AD since 2008, Swarbrick made the decision to promote Freeman in 2021 after Brian Kelly left, giving him his first head coaching job at age 35.

Although Freeman knew that Swarbrick, 69, was likely nearing the end of his career, he didn’t expect it to be quite so soon. Despite their close relationship, the coach said the AD’s decision came as a “complete shock” to him.

“No, I didn’t know (in advance),” Freeman told NDInsider.com. “I knew at some point Jack Swarbrick was going to say, ‘This is it.’ And he’s told me that and (Notre Dame President) Father John (Jenkins) has told me at some point (in) this thing, ‘Hey, we’re getting to the end of our time here at Notre Dame.’”

“I just did not expect it to be last week when we had this conversation. I was in complete shock.”

Under Swarbrick’s leadership, the Notre Dame football team has made the College Football Playoff twice, appearing during the 2018 season and the 2020 season. He then took a big chance on Freeman, previously the team’s defensive coordinator, to uphold that high standard.

It got off to a rocky start last year in Freeman’s first full season at the helm. The Fighting Irish started off 3-3 with losses to Marshall and Stanford, falling out of the rankings entirely after entering the season at No. 5 in the AP poll. However, they turned things around to go 6-1 from that point, including a Gator Bowl victory against South Carolina.

Now entering his second year and what will ultimately be his last with Jack Swarbrick, Marcus Freeman expressed what the AD’s belief in him as a young coach has meant.

“I love Jack Swarbrick,” he said. “I’ve always told him he took a chance on me. That’s a personal touch to me that I’m always forever in debt to him and Father John for taking a chance. They didn’t have to do this — taking a chance on a first-year head coach, never been a head coach.”

Notre Dame already has a replacement waiting to take over for Swarbrick, NBC Sports Group chairman Pete Bevacqua. As Swarbrick prepares to pass the torch on to him, Freeman won’t forget what he did for both his career and the betterment of the university.

“Jack loves Notre Dame,” Freeman said. “He does, man. He’s done some great things. You’re never going to be perfect. That’s the one thing I’ve realized as head coach. You can’t please everybody. But at the core of your heart, if you’re a good person and you treat this place the right way, gosh, man, you have to respect people that do that.”