Marcus Freeman shares pride representing multiple minority groups

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is unique among college coaches. He represents multiple minority groups every single time he steps on the field, as the son of a Korean mother and a black father.

As Freeman explained, this is something he is incredibly proud of and is important to him.

“So proud,” Marcus Freeman told The Pivot. “I haven’t always been this way. I think as a young person, man, when you have something that might be different, you kind of like, ‘Oh man, I don’t want to be in front of everybody. I’ve got this Korean mom that might be different back or white parents,’ you know? But as you get older you realize it’s so special and an honor.”

Marcus Freeman explained that he recently had the chance to go to the White House, largely because of his race, which helped him have tons of pride in his heritage and his mother.

“I got a chance to go to the White House and I was invited as the head coach of Notre Dame, but the only reason I was invited was because my mother was Korean. So, President Biden was having a state dinner for the president of South Korea and he invited me and a guest to go to the White House. So, I had to have a conversation with my wife, like, ‘Listen, if my mom wasn’t Korean…so I’ve got to take my mom.’ It was amazing, man, and I had so much pride in my heritage, you know, and where my mom has come from.”

Growing up in Ohio, Marcus Freeman was raised by his parents who met in South Korea while his father, Michael, was serving in the Air Force.

“And, so, that’s who I am.”

One key figure for Marcus Freeman was Hines Ward, a half-Korean and half-black wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s that source of inspiration that has helped Freeman realize the impact he can have.

“To answer the second part of your question, I remember growing up and aspiring to be like Hines Ward because he was half-black and half-Korean, and he was successful. So, I remind myself that there’s some young people that look at a half-black and a half-Asian man and say, ‘You know what? I want to be like him,'” Freeman said.

“So, I want to have success because I want people that have grown up like me, who look like me, to realize there’s opportunities to do whatever the heck you want, man. Whatever you want.”

There are currently two FBS head coaches of Asian descent. Marcus Freeman is one while Hawaii’s Timmy Chang is the other.

“But, I don’t add that pressure to me. Right? I don’t say I’ve got to work harder because there’s a young Johnny behind me that wants to be like me, I’ve got to work as hard as I can for those players, man. Because those are the ones who chose Notre Dame and chose me to be their leader, and I’ve gotta work as hard as I can to push those guys and have success. And that’s my everyday inspiration, but I don’t forget that, man, you’ve got these young people behind you that need you to have success, so they can understand there is a path and a way.”

Marcus Freeman on Jack Swarbrick stepping down

Recently, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick caught the college sports world by surprise by announcing that he plans to step down in 2024. His head football coach, Marcus Freeman, was as surprised as anyone.

“No, I didn’t know (in advance). 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,'” Freeman said.

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