Marcus Freeman clears the air over perceived Ohio State shot

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman had his career fast-tracked at the end of the 2021 regular season, as head coach Brian Kelly left South Bend for LSU, and Freeman, 35, was promoted to Notre Dame head football coach.

Shortly after he was named head coach, Freeman penned a letter in The Players’ Tribune in which he reflected on his career trajectory, while further endearing himself with the Notre Dame fanbase. However, in the process, the Ohio State product appeared to have taken a shot at his alma mater. On Sunday, Freeman put to rest any speculation that his intention was to demean Ohio State in any way, as he opened up his press conference with an unprompted remark praising the Ohio State Buckeyes.

“I wanted to address one more thing before we open up for questions,” Freeman said. “My feelings on Ohio State: I want to make sure to be very clear that the relationships, the time that I spent in Columbus have impacted me and the relationships I built will be with me for the rest of my life. So, I’m very passionate about being a head coach here (at Notre Dame), but in no way did I want to diminish my time in Columbus and the impact that time had on me. I want to be clear on that.”

Just over a decade before he was named Notre Dame’s head coach, Freeman had a successful playing career at Ohio State. In 2009, he was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears; he spent the 2009 season with three separate practice squads, and he quickly pivoted to coaching in 2010.

“I visited this university (Notre Dame) for the first time when I was about 16 or 17 years old and was recruited to play here,” Freeman wrote in The Players Tribune. “I had a choice to make, and in the end what it came down to was Ohio State or Notre Dame. And I chose Ohio State. I loved Tyrone Willingham. I thought he was a great coach, and to be honest, he reminded me a bit of my father.

“Fast-forward to last year, and you might have heard that I was being considered for a couple of coaching jobs. During that time, me and my wife, Joanna, took a trip down to Louisiana and then up here to South Bend — and when we got back home, it was another tough decision. I can’t tell you exactly what it was that told us to come to Notre Dame, but there was something. We all know there’s something different about Notre Dame. We all know it’s something special. And I just thank God that I didn’t make the wrong decision twice.”

Many Ohio State fans read the excerpt as Freeman suggesting he made the wrong college decision, when he ultimately selected Ohio State over Notre Dame. However, Freeman laid to rest those claims on Sunday, expressing gratitude for his time in Columbus.