Marcus Freeman named Dick Corbett Head Football Coach

[bobbyok1]

I was going back through recruiting for the past 25 years and found some interesting nuggets. One was that this 2026 class is currently the second-highest rated ND class in the past 25 years (the 2008 Charlie Weis class was #2). But the 4 five-star players are the most of any in at last the last 25 years. We have had no more than 2 five-star players in a class since 2000. I think I did the cross-over from outgoing head coach to incoming head coach correctly, might have made a Michael Bolton math error in their somewhere, IYKYK.

What stands out to me is how bad the Ty Willingham recruiting years were, how good the Charlie Weis era was (offensively anyway), and how consistently bland the Brian Kelly years were, lol. Two of his first three years were really good. But the other 10 years, he averaged a #12 class, landing only 4 five-star recruits in that 10-year period. Again, our 26' class has 4 five-star recruits all by itself!

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I was going back through recruiting for the past 25 years and found some interesting nuggets. One was that this 2026 class is currently the second-highest rated ND class in the past 25 years (the 2008 Charlie Weis class was #2). But the 4 five-star players are the most of any in at last the last 25 years. We have had no more than 2 five-star players in a class since 2000. I think I did the cross-over from outgoing head coach to incoming head coach correctly, might have made a Michael Bolton math error in their somewhere, IYKYK.

What stands out to me is how bad the Ty Willingham recruiting years were, how good the Charlie Weis era was (offensively anyway), and how consistently bland the Brian Kelly years were, lol. Two of his first three years were really good. But the other 10 years, he averaged a #12 class, landing only 4 five-star recruits in that 10-year period. Again, our 26' class has 4 five-star recruits all by itself!
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Nice research! Man, Lionel Tyrone was close to killing this program.

 

[bobbyok1]

Nice research! Man, Lionel Tyrone was close to killing this program.

Those were rough years to be an Irish fan for sure. Davie, Willingham, and Weis about broke me. Weis at least gave some hope. The Willingham years had to be the low spot, though.

After watching the Holtz years, then those three coaches, Kelly was actually a breath of fresh air, even though there was usually a lack of championship-caliber teams/years.

Freeman has been another step towards getting back to the Holtz-type years. Hoping it can continue to head in that direction.

 

[Irishdwarte]

Didn’t you say Freeman wasn’t the guy last year?

 

[IrishLax]

Those were rough years to be an Irish fan for sure. Davie, Willingham, and Weis about broke me. Weis at least gave some hope. The Willingham years had to be the low spot, though.

After watching the Holtz years, then those three coaches, Kelly was actually a breath of fresh air, even though there was usually a lack of championship-caliber teams/years.

Freeman has been another step towards getting back to the Holtz-type years. Hoping it can continue to head in that direction.

Davies was a product of ND arrogance and active sabotage/neglect of football. Willingham was true bottom because the guy was both lazy AND had no idea what he was doing.

In a lot of ways, Charlie Weis saved ND football by having the '05 and '06 seasons and landing good enough recruiting classes for Kelly to stabilize the program. No one is ever going to repeat the Holtzian level of consistently being top 5 because there is too much parity in CFB these days but I agree that what Freeman is doing is very akin to the Holtz style of both culture and talent acquisition. Hopefully ND never again has administrators like they did in the mid-90s through mid-00s.

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

Didn’t you say Freeman wasn’t the guy last year?

He did but believe he also ate his crow and admitted he was wrong eventually once Freeman cleared some benchmarks he had set for him.

 

[ND88]

Davies was a product of ND arrogance and active sabotage/neglect of football. Willingham was true bottom because the guy was both lazy AND had no idea what he was doing.

In a lot of ways, Charlie Weis saved ND football by having the '05 and '06 seasons and landing good enough recruiting classes for Kelly to stabilize the program. No one is ever going to repeat the Holtzian level of consistently being top 5 because there is too much parity in CFB these days but I agree that what Freeman is doing is very akin to the Holtz style of both culture and talent acquisition. Hopefully ND never again has administrators like they did in the mid-90s through mid-00s.

Willingham was terrible, but I personally felt Davies was worse. He was just nothing like Holtz and was in over his head. By the time we reached Willingham, the program was already long tarnished with mediocrity.

 

[Irishdwarte]

He did but believe he also ate his crow and admitted he was wrong eventually once Freeman cleared some benchmarks he had set for him.

I’m sure Freeman is glad he cleared Bobbyok1’s benchmarks. What a relief for him.

 

[greyhammer90]

I’m sure Freeman is glad he cleared Bobbyok1’s benchmarks. What a relief for him.

 

[GATTACA!]

Not being on sanctions and taking 30 recruits over a two year period is crazy work.

 

[stlnd01]

Willingham was terrible, but I personally felt Davies was worse. He was just nothing like Holtz and was in over his head. By the time we reached Willingham, the program was already long tarnished with mediocrity.

Davie's teams generally played good defense and even our losses were usually competitive. And he had those two nine-win seasons (more impressive when we only played 11 in the regular season). But then nobody ever whined about the difficulty of coaching at Notre Dame like Davie did.

Willingham had that glorious 8-0 run to start, held together by lucky turnovers and duct tape. Then when the wheels came off they came off hard. We'd never been blown out like we were under Willingham in years two and three. And while he gave no shits about recruiting he also did somehow recruit the core of the 2005 and 2006 teams.

I dunno. They both sucked. I'd probably vote for Davie as a modestly better coach. But it's like choosing your preferred brand of shit sandwich.

 

[Fbolt]

From the board, isn't the preferred shit sandwich a Skyline product?

 

[MacIrish75]

Davie's teams generally played good defense and even our losses were usually competitive. And he had those two nine-win seasons (more impressive when we only played 11 in the regular season). But then nobody ever whined about the difficulty of coaching at Notre Dame like Davie did.

Willingham had that glorious 8-0 run to start, held together by lucky turnovers and duct tape. Then when the wheels came off they came off hard. We'd never been blown out like we were under Willingham in years two and three. And while he gave no shits about recruiting he also did somehow recruit the core of the 2005 and 2006 teams.

I dunno. They both sucked. I'd probably vote for Davie as a modestly better coach. But it's like choosing your preferred brand of shit sandwich.

Having thought about this, I think I would definitely prefer a dogshit sandwich to a catshit sandwich.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Davies was a product of ND arrogance and active sabotage/neglect of football. Willingham was true bottom because the guy was both lazy AND had no idea what he was doing.

In a lot of ways, Charlie Weis saved ND football by having the '05 and '06 seasons and landing good enough recruiting classes for Kelly to stabilize the program. No one is ever going to repeat the Holtzian level of consistently being top 5 because there is too much parity in CFB these days but I agree that what Freeman is doing is very akin to the Holtz style of both culture and talent acquisition. Hopefully ND never again has administrators like they did in the mid-90s through mid-00s.

I have always felt this to be the case.

 

[Jeffwantpoppers]

Bob Davie still being referred to as Davies will never not be funny.

 

[IrishTusker]

I’m sure Freeman is glad he cleared Bobbyok1’s benchmarks. What a relief for him.

Anyone who says they weren't freaking out about the program (including MF) after NIU last year is probably not being candid.

 

[stlnd01]

Bob Davie still being referred to as Davies will never not be funny.

He sits atop a pantheon that includes Charlie Weiss, Dayne Christ, Tommy Reese and Everett Gholston.

 

[Irish8248]

Anyone who says they weren't freaking out about the program (including MF) after NIU last year is probably not being candid.

Idk, I wasnt freaking out. Annoyed and pissed off and certainly didn't think the playoff run was in the picture, but I didn't blame Freeman. It was clear RL wasn't a passer. That's what was holding us back for years not just 2024. Hartman could pass if it was under 15 yds, Angeli could pass if he had 7 seconds, Pynes favorite receiver was the dirt, Coan couldn't attack the field and if he did it was 4 yds in the sidelines or a crazy catch.

We need that QB to open up the explosiveness of our offense which will compliment our defense. That's what NIU and subsequently every game thereafter showed us last yr.

 

[Irish#1]

Davies was a product of ND arrogance and active sabotage/neglect of football. Willingham was true bottom because the guy was both lazy AND had no idea what he was doing.

In a lot of ways, Charlie Weis saved ND football by having the '05 and '06 seasons and landing good enough recruiting classes for Kelly to stabilize the program. No one is ever going to repeat the Holtzian level of consistently being top 5 because there is too much parity in CFB these days but I agree that what Freeman is doing is very akin to the Holtz style of both culture and talent acquisition. Hopefully ND never again has administrators like they did in the mid-90s through mid-00s.

I always got the look when I would defend our Irish, saying it was just a series of bad coaching hires. BK gave me the opportunity to remind those doubters and MF is icing on the cake.

 

[Armyirish47]

Not being on sanctions and taking 30 recruits over a two year period is crazy work.

Playing on Heisman in an All-American dynasty group.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Anyone who says they weren't freaking out about the program (including MF) after NIU last year is probably not being candid.

I really did have a lot of doubts, I will admit that. Freaking out? No. I'm pushing 50 raising three kids. ND losing to NIU doesn't freak me out, but I remember texting friends in an ND thread "Marcus might not be the guy." Ultimately, I put that loss in context with the season and not with Marshall, Stanford, etc. It ultimately propelled them to a National Championship Game.

I was a freshman in college when Bob Davie got hired. I remember talking to my dad on the phone and him saying to me "This guy looks like the kind of man who wakes up every day, looks down and is bewildered that he has feet. But Lou supposedly endorsed this, so I guess we'll see." My dad met Davie in person, twice, and both times all he could muster up as commentary was "What a complete dolt."

The new and exciting ways of figuring out how to lose to Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford and Boston College really made the late 90s a difficult time. Davie obviously had the misfortune of losing to Purdue and was HC for the Tiller/Brees Era. In hindsight it is easier to accept now knowing what Brees went on to become, but Purdue snapping the 11 game win streak in Tiller's first home game the week after they lost to Toledo was a lot to absorb as an ND fan.

I was at Willingham's final home game in 2004. Against Pitt. They lost. And the following Sunday, I found IrishEnvy.com

And for that, I curse him and George O'Leary. LOL

 

[EvilleIrish]

Sounds like the Giants have interest in Marcus.

 

[IRISHbluehen]

Sounds like the Giants have interest in Marcus.

Everyone has interest in MF, hes one of the hottest up and coming young coaches in the country.

If the Giants dont go with an offensive coach to pair with Dart, I will be utterly shocked.

 

[Irish#1]

The New York Giants are reportedly interested in Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman as a potential candidate for their new head coach position. Sources indicate there is "high regard" for Freeman within the Giants organization, and he is seen as a potential "outside-the-box" option due to his success as a defensive-minded coach. While the Giants may be exploring his interest, some analysts believe a move to the NFL is unlikely at this time due to his success at Notre Dame and comfort with his current role.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Sounds like the Giants have interest in Marcus.

He's going to be click bait in a lot of articles for most big college openings and just about every NFL opening. Really not even worth fretting over at this point.

It turns out that when Coach Free was DC at Cincinnati, he turned down a job from the Titans to be LB Coach. I know a lot has changed since then and things are significantly different, but that's something worth noting.

 

[Huntr]

interest[ed]... as a potential candidate

Sounds pretty definitive.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Kiffin was mentioned for NYG too.

I think the NYG job comes down to two guys. Freeman and Kiffin are not either of them.

 

[Bane]

Kiffin was mentioned for NYG too.

I think the NYG job comes down to two guys. Freeman and Kiffin are not either of them.

Who do you have in mind?

 

[allenm5333]

Sounds like the Giants have interest in Marcus.

MF's son just signed with Cornell....

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Who do you have in mind?

Rather not hijack this thread, but I honestly think it comes down to Mike McCarthy or Klint Kubiak.

I think Coach Free is a very good coach, but I really get the impression he's happy at Notre Dame. I'm just going off of the two times he was a guest on The Pivot. He explains it to a point that if it isn't genuine, he's got Daniel Day Lewis acting chops. I know things can change and some NFL team could make a crazy offer, but when you look at the Giants and their current GM, I think they may TALK to Coach Free but I don't know that they'd be bold enough to hire him.

They are probably going to go for an experienced guy or an offensive minded guy.