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Notre Dame Fighting Irish head football coach Marcus Freeman announced his decision to return to the team for the 2026 season amid reported interest from NFL teams.
"2026…run it back Go Irish," Freeman wrote on his X account Monday (December 29).
Freeman, 40, had previously agreed to a contract extension on December 15, 2024, and has three years remaining on a six-year deal. Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua publicly expressed his intention to retain Freeman two weeks prior to his announcement.
"We feel blessed that he's our coach," Bevacqua said via 247Sports. "I make sure that he knows that he will be where he deserves to be, and that is at the top, top, top tier of college football coaches when it comes to compensation. "Every year. I view his contract, although a multi-year contract, as a living, breathing document that we will revise every year as need be to make sure he's where he deserves to be. He knows he has that commitment from me, and more importantly, from the university."
Freeman and Notre Dame have reportedly been in discussions on a new contract extension for several weeks. Freeman joined the program as a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2021 and was promoted to full-time head coach following Brian Kelly's departure and speculation that he'd join him in the same role on his LSU coaching staff.
Freeman has had a winning record during each of his first four full seasons, going 43-12, which included a 14-2 finish in 2024, having made an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and a 10-2 season in 2025.