Marcus Freeman is expected to remain the head coach at Notre Dame in 2026 despite interest from several NFL teams, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Freeman received an enhanced contract last month to stay at Notre Dame but has been linked to multiple high-profile NFL head coaching jobs in recent weeks.
The Pittsburgh Steelers became the latest team with a coaching vacancy Tuesday when Mike Tomlin announced he was stepping down after 19 seasons in Pittsburgh.
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Notre Dame announced later Tuesday that Freeman will hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon, further fueling speculation that he might bolt South Bend for an NFL job.
Freeman previously was linked to the New York Giants, who are among the candidates for former Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh.
Freeman, 39, guided Notre Dame to the CFP National Championship game last January, and the Fighting Irish won their final 10 regular-season games this fall before being snubbed for the CFP and finishing No. 11 in this season’s final standings. The Irish then elected to opt out of a bowl game.
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said last month that Freeman is «the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop.» Bevacqua added at the time that Notre Dame was aware of the interest in Freeman and would do everything possible to secure his future.
The Steelers, Giants and Ravens are among the nine NFL teams currently seeking a new head coach. The Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans are the others.
