Marcus Freeman named Dick Corbett Head Football Coach

[Bane]

It's 100% accurate. When ND fired Weis, Kelly probably crawls over broken glass from Cincinnati to South Bend to get that job. Then 11 years later, he flies out of South Bend to Baton Rouge like Clark Griswold sledding down the hill.

These are just jobs for these guys. Every last one of them. So when the plan to keep a good assistant coach is just to keep giving him a raise so he'll stay, you're basically an idiot for suggesting it and you're going to be left disappointed. They don't care as much as you do. They're not fans. Mike Mickens, for all intents and purposes, doesn't give a fuck that 20 people on this board want to give him a massive raise so he'll never leave. He has multiple contingency plans for whatever his next move is.

It’s also just completely disconnected from how people work. If someone has ambition you can’t throw money at them to keep them in current jobs. I’ve taken a pay cut before to move to a different part of the country for a promotion because I thought it would set me up for the future. It didn’t pan out the way I had planned in my head but the point is a man with ambition is going to fly away at some point.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

It’s also just completely disconnected from how people work. If someone has ambition you can’t throw money at them to keep them in current jobs. I’ve taken a pay cut before to move to a different part of the country for a promotion because I thought it would set me up for the future. It didn’t pan out the way I had planned in my head but the point is a man with ambition is going to fly away at some point.

Correct. Ambition is something that just about every single one of these guys have. They don't care about the drawbacks and pitfalls of a job. They believe they're going to be the guy who wins at the school where no one ever has, or they can rebuild the program that has long been broken. They're all just stepping stones to the next point.

Marcus Freeman might very well be happy now. In two years, he could want something else, or a job that isn't even open now comes along and he gets the call. Mike Mickens, while good at being Notre Dame DB Coach, probably doesn't want that for himself for the next decade. They go where the opportunity is more than the money. That's changed somewhat now, but the principle is intact. Suppose Mickens gets a DC or even head coaching opportunity that might be a pay cut from where he is now but the opportunity puts him on a career trajectory he wants? He's going to move.

I'm sure ND will do all they can to keep Freeman, but that doesn't mean he's going to stay.

 

[NDPhilly]

Believing a coach truly loves your school = believing a stripper actually likes you. 1% of the time it may be accurate, but the other 99% they just will say / do what they need for your $$$.

Hopefully Freeman is that 1% 🤷‍♂️

 

[SportsingHard]

I often think about what O'Malley on II said about BK when he left and a reader asked if he ever really "loved" ND. To paraphrase: "He loved ND more than you ever will for exactly 11 years, because it was his job to love it that much. Then he got a different job and now he doesn't."

I thought it was a funny response and even though it's absurd and paradoxical I think it's honestly a pretty accurate representation for how a lot of these coaches think.

Strange belief O'Malley's carrying around, and I believe your word "think" is key here. A merc's "love" is a strategy that comes from the head, not the heart.

 

[SportsingHard]

Believing a coach truly loves your school = believing a stripper actually likes you. 1% of the time it may be accurate, but the other 99% they just will say / do what they need for your $$$.

Hopefully Freeman is that 1% 🤷‍♂️

I'd put the number significantly higher than 1% (coaches, not strippers), but in general I agree.

 

[irishff1014]

The way the Freeman talks about players during the press conferences is awesome.

He was talking about Onye and I am really proud of him. That’s means something to the players and you don’t hear that a lot.

 

[irishff1014]

Dude is pure respect.

I wish I had 200 million to donate to ND and keep Freeman here.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

If he would stop walking so fast, I could catch up to him and discus.

Does he by chance walk with his whistle and blow it furiously when you approach?

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Does he by chance walk with his whistle and blow it furiously when you approach?

Doesn't everyone? Wait, is this not a normal thing?

 

[greyhammer90]

Believing a coach truly loves your school = believing a stripper actually likes you. 1% of the time it may be accurate, but the other 99% they just will say / do what they need for your $$$.

Hopefully Freeman is that 1% 🤷‍♂️

 

[irishff1014]

 

[IrishLax]

It’s also just completely disconnected from how people work. If someone has ambition you can’t throw money at them to keep them in current jobs. I’ve taken a pay cut before to move to a different part of the country for a promotion because I thought it would set me up for the future. It didn’t pan out the way I had planned in my head but the point is a man with ambition is going to fly away at some point.

Really the question is a combination of comfort, compensation, and aspirations. You stop people from taking lateral jobs with 1 & 2. With #3 it all depends on the guy. Why did Gary Patterson never leave TCU? Why did Mike Gundy never leave Oklahoma State? Why did Bill Snyder do two stints at Kansas State spanning like 3 decades?

All of those guys had offers to move to big time schools for a lot more $$ and turned it down. Most people would take those offers, but they weighed #1 and #2 more than any aspirations for what some other place could give them.

The only place that gives Freeman something "different" to aspire to is the NFL. Then you have Ohio State which is an S Tier job and really the only "lateral" move that makes sense for a host of reasons. There is NOTHING he gets at any of these other schools that is reason to uproot his current situation. The only gripe he has with ND is about transfer portal recruiting where there are a lot of guys that aren't a take but that's an annoyance not an impasse.

 

[IrishLax]

The other thing people need to realize is that while Freeman doesn't have any blind loyalty to ND he also isn't dumb enough to discount the fact that they bet on him as a young, unproven DC and have been good partners to him. Why would anyone throw away a job that they like and where they know / trust people for a similar job where they don't have any clue what their working relationship would be like with their various counterparts?

My biggest fear is always that the new AD and new school president fuck something up. But so far, so good.

 

[FOTY977]

The other thing people need to realize is that while Freeman doesn't have any blind loyalty to ND he also isn't dumb enough to discount the fact that they bet on him as a young, unproven DC and have been good partners to him. Why would anyone throw away a job that they like and where they know / trust people for a similar job where they don't have any clue what their working relationship would be like with their various counterparts?

My biggest fear is always that the new AD and new school president fuck something up. But so far, so good.

Bevacqua is on record as a fan. He worries me less than most.

 

[irishff1014]

The other thing people need to realize is that while Freeman doesn't have any blind loyalty to ND he also isn't dumb enough to discount the fact that they bet on him as a young, unproven DC and have been good partners to him. Why would anyone throw away a job that they like and where they know / trust people for a similar job where they don't have any clue what their working relationship would be like with their various counterparts?

My biggest fear is always that the new AD and new school president fuck something up. But so far, so good.

The positive influence Freeman has had on all sports is absurd. However the positive influence Freeman has had on the ND brand is even more remarkable.

Freeman is 100% the right person for ND. And ND is 100% the right school for him.

 

[Blazers46]

I think Freeman’s name and anyone’s name will come up until ND PROVES they aren’t a tier below some of these other programs. BKs name came up all the time every year, now Freeman. To the national media we aren’t the prettiest girl in class anymore. We need to change the narrative and start routinely stomping necks but more importantly show we can and will spend the money.

 

[thekid33]

I think Freeman’s name and anyone’s name will come up until ND PROVES they aren’t a tier below some of these other programs.

If last season didn't prove that to people than nothing short of a championship will.

And, I remind people that only 3 active coaches have won a national championship. It's really, really difficult.

Ohio State is the only program that I would rank as a tier ahead of ND at this point.

 

[Blazers46]

If last season didn't prove that to people than nothing short of a championship will.

And, I remind people that only 3 active coaches have won a national championship. It's really, really difficult.

Ohio State is the only program that I would rank as a tier ahead of ND at this point.

It comes down to money. BK left because of money. Sure it’s easier to recruit there (that’s the theory at least) but money talks. Will ND pay to keep Freeman? If Freeman were smart he’d make sure he gets paid at ND. Last year ND proved a lot… but so did Freeman. You pay him to retain him. You pay him so much that the national media doesn’t even think he’s an option.

 

[thekid33]

It comes down to money. BK left because of money. Sure it’s easier to recruit there (that’s the theory at least) but money talks. Will ND pay to keep Freeman? If Freeman were smart he’d make sure he gets paid at ND. Last year ND proved a lot… but so did Freeman. You pay him to retain him. You pay him so much that the national media doesn’t even think he’s an option.

That's fair. There's no reason not to give him Cig $ or better. At least Freeman has the big playoff wins to justify it.

 

[NCIrish24]

I have no way knowing if any of this is a factor or not but you would have to imagine that with Freeman having young kids, that he wants them to get a ND education.

If he were to ever leave ND, that goes out the window. Obviously money rules over everything but it seems to matter to Freeman and his wife. His oldest son is going to Cornell so it’s clearly important to them.

 

[pumpdog20]

If Marcus Freeman doesn't have blind loyalty to ND, then consider me shocked. The dude chose ND over "better" (by BK's standards) jobs. Converted to Catholicism, and was even willing to be excommunicated by the Ohio State fan base by admitting he wished he chose ND out of high school.

Give the man what he wants and I think he stays, whether florida, lsu, and even Ohio state is open as long as hes being treated fair and has an equal opportunity to compete.

 

[arndtjc]

It comes down to money. BK left because of money. Sure it’s easier to recruit there (that’s the theory at least) but money talks. Will ND pay to keep Freeman? If Freeman were smart he’d make sure he gets paid at ND. Last year ND proved a lot… but so did Freeman. You pay him to retain him. You pay him so much that the national media doesn’t even think he’s an option.

I think there were quite a few other factors to Kelly leaving Notre Dame, and money was one of them, but not in the way you're saying it is considering he was one of the top paid coaches in college football at the time (no way to verify considering the private school but it was pretty generally known info).

He hit his ceiling. They were not going to get any better than they already were under Kelly's leadership. He found the right formula in recruiting kids to win 10-12 games every year but was never going to go the extra mile to try and raise that talent level the way Freeman has. He was too busy playing golf to even attempt it. He saw an opportunity to get a bag in the SEC and whether he succeeded or not, he had the perfect retirement plan. He got what he wanted, a 100 million dollar contract, of which he only had to work 3.5 seasons.

 

[SportsingHard]

I think Freeman’s name and anyone’s name will come up until ND PROVES they aren’t a tier below some of these other programs. BKs name came up all the time every year, now Freeman. To the national media we aren’t the prettiest girl in class anymore. We need to change the narrative and start routinely stomping necks but more importantly show we can and will spend the money.

Aside from Georgia, who we beat last year, and Ohio State, what program can claim to be on a higher tier? (And, no, post-Saban Bama doesn't qualify.)

 

[EvilleIrish]

 

[Blazers46]

Aside from Georgia, who we beat last year, and Ohio State, what program can claim to be on a higher tier? (And, no, post-Saban Bama doesn't qualify.)

Financially?

 

[stlnd01]

I get it's the NFL and there are only so many jobs to go around and Cincy is better positioned than most other teams, but I'm not sure it's a better job than OSU. I mean if Day really wants the NFL none of that will matter and he'll go, but does he actually want the NFL? If wins #2 he's basically the king of CFB at that point.

I don’t really understand why any NFL team would be excited to hire Ryan Day. He’s certainly a solid coach but his main competitive advantage is having more talent than all the other teams he plays, and that isn’t nearly such a thing in the NFL.

Meanwhile his thin-skinned weenie chip-on-his-shoulder act will grow old fast on Sundays.

 

[Irish#1]

I think there were quite a few other factors to Kelly leaving Notre Dame, and money was one of them, but not in the way you're saying it is considering he was one of the top paid coaches in college football at the time (no way to verify considering the private school but it was pretty generally known info).

He hit his ceiling. They were not going to get any better than they already were under Kelly's leadership. He found the right formula in recruiting kids to win 10-12 games every year but was never going to go the extra mile to try and raise that talent level the way Freeman has. He was too busy playing golf to even attempt it. He saw an opportunity to get a bag in the SEC and whether he succeeded or not, he had the perfect retirement plan. He got what he wanted, a 100 million dollar contract, of which he only had to work 3.5 seasons.

I guess you could say he hit his self imposed ceiling.

 

[SportsingHard]

Financially?

Sorry, I missed your last line. I don't really have a clear sense of spending rankings, especially when NIL is factored in. That said, it seems pretty clear ND is doing enough to win. I don't know that I even want to see ND outspend everybody.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Freeman has to understand if he wins a natty at places like Florida, LSU, etc., he is another cog in the machine that got it done.

If he wins a natty at ND he will be a goddamn legend.

A title at ND in today’s landscape would hit so fucking hard, we would still get misty eyed telling great grandchildren about it 50 years from now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Irish#1]

If Marcus Freeman doesn't have blind loyalty to ND, then consider me shocked. The dude chose ND over "better" (by BK's standards) jobs. Converted to Catholicism, and was even willing to be excommunicated by the Ohio State fan base by admitting he wished he chose ND out of high school.

Give the man what he wants and I think he stays, whether florida, lsu, and even Ohio state is open as long as hes being treated fair and has an equal opportunity to compete.

I would think uprooting all those kids and putting them in new schools is something of a factor as well.