Marcus Freeman tells hilarious story about an important call with Notre Dame AD

Last week was a wild one for Marcus Freeman. Now Notre Dame’s head coach, Freeman was still in the role of defensive coordinator with the Fighting Irish last week when the news broke that former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly was leaving to take the LSU job.

While Kelly offered Freeman the opportunity to join him in Baton Rouge as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator, Freeman was undecided on whether or not he wanted to leave South Bend or stay put. As many Fighting Irish players, administrators and supporters showed their support for Freeman and wanted him to be Notre Dame’s next head coach, there was plenty on Freeman’s mind.

On The Dan Patrick Show on Monday, Freeman shared a story about last week’s events, saying that he up and drove from Indiana to Michigan to visit with a recruit – just so he could stay busy and keep his mind off what was going to happen next in his coaching career.

During that drive to Michigan, Freeman said that Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick called him – most likely offering him the head coaching position at that time.

“I stopped right in the middle of the highway, turned around and headed back to South Bend,” Freeman said on The Dan Patrick Show.

Marcus Freeman told @dpshow the suspense of his future was so intense early last week he spontaneously drove to Michigan to see a recruit to stay busy.

Then Jack Swarbrick called.

"I stopped right in the middle of the highway, turned around and headed back to South Bend."

— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) December 6, 2021

Freeman, who was ultimately hired as Notre Dame’s head coach last Friday, takes over a Fighting Irish program that is 11-1 on the 2021 season and will face off against Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.

Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame want to right past wrongs in Fiesta Bowl

As it prepares to play in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day, the Notre Dame football team hopes to get back on the right side of history. The Fighting Irish are 0-6 in BCS/New Year’s Six bowls since 1998, having lost by an average of 23 points.

In an appearance on the ESPN College Football Playoff Selection Show, newly announced head coach Marcus Freeman said we wants to right those wrongs.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am as the head coach of this football program and the football as we go to take on Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl,” Freeman said. “It’s a great opportunity to win 12 games and right some of the wrongs of the past, that we haven’t been so successful in these new Year’s Day bowls. 

“They are a motivated team.  We are a motivated coaching staff.  And we are excited for the opportunity.”