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With recent firings in college football, a who’s who of the biggest names in coaching have appeared in speculation for head coaching vacancies. In addition to top coaches Nick Saban, Lane Kiffin, or Kirby Smart, it makes sense that Notre Dame‘s Marcus Freeman would also appear in rumors to go to Penn State, or another open spot. However, Freeman currently has the Notre Dame Fighting Irish playing very well, and they look like a legitimate College Football Playoff contender. This past weekend, they defeated USC 34-24 for their fifth straight win, extending their overall record to 5-2. As of this writing they’re ranked No. 12 in the AP Top 25. Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd believes they could be the team to challenge the Ohio State Buckeyes for the championship. Cowherd praised Freeman heavily, and shared a bold prediction for his future. Read more: Clemson’s Dabo Swinney Gives Concerning Bryant Wesco Injury Update During his recent podcast, Cowherd explained he had a text conversation with Freeman’s agent and told him “You have to pay Marcus Freeman whatever the market bears. You can’t let him go. Notre Dame’s a better job to me than Penn State.” Along with that, he suggested on his podcast he doesn’t believe Freeman would ever leave Notre Dame for another college coaching position. However, he believes he could be the next coach to go to the NFL. SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – SEPTEMBER 13: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Notre Dame Stadium on September 13, 2025, in South Bend, Indiana. “Marcus Freeman’s what a college coach should be today: young, handsome, energetic, recruiter, smart. He’s tough,” Cowherd said on The Colin Cowherd Podcast. “I am surprised at how good Notre Dame is. I think Notre Dame’s one of the few teams that can go toe-to-toe with Ohio State,” he added. “I don’t think there’s a job in college he would leave for. I think he stays forever at Notre Dame,” Cowherd said, later adding, “I think he’s the next college guy to go pro.” Freeman, 39, began coaching Notre Dame in 2021, after previous linebacker coach or defensive coordinator jobs with Cincinnati, Purdue, Kent State, and Ohio State. He’s also an Ohio State alumni, having played for the school from 2004 to 2008. His NFL career as a linebacker didn’t quite pan out how he might have liked, despite being briefly on rosters for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, and Buffalo Bills. That led him to his coaching career, where he’s found success with Notre Dame. For now, based on Cowherd’s remarks, it appears he’ll stick with the Fighting Irish job for as long as possible, and ultimately make that jump to the NFL for bigger money as a pro coach. Read more: Lane Kiffin Sends 3-Word Message to Terry Saban After Penn State Remarks For more about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and college football, visit Newsweek Sports.
