Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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4 OCT. 15, 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED M arcus Freeman openly and re- freshingly admits that he learns something new on his new job every day, and that he still has a long way to go to get where he wants to be as the rookie Notre Dame head football coach. In an ego-driven business where coaches often view themselves as infal- lible and untouchable, Freeman takes a different outlook. "You never stop learning. You never stop enhancing," Freeman explained in the days leading up to Notre Dame's matchup with BYU Oct. 8. "I don't care if I've been doing this since December or doing it for 10 years, I think the challenge to us as indi- viduals is to find ways to improve." Many improvements were evident following the 0-2 start that included a 26-21 playoff-squashing loss to Mar- shall Sept. 10 as a 20.5-point favorite. But it was Freeman's messaging post- Marshall that demonstrated an impor- tant adaptability to his craft as he tries to lift this preseason top-five team back to where it needs to be. "No matter what the result of the past game is, what the result of the last sea- son was, how do you improve?" Free- man added. "That's the challenge for us as a football program." A mission to improve is one thing, finding the best way to make it happen is another. When Notre Dame lost to both Ohio State and Marshall after leading both games in the second half, Freeman adopted a rallying cry of "learn how to finish." Later realizing after a sluggish start to Cal in Game 3 that first and second quarters weigh the same as the fourth, Freeman's directive changed to "start- ing faster" after a troubling first half in a slim 24-17 win over the Bears. And finally, after the 45-32 win at North Carolina Sept. 24 and through the ensuing bye week, Freeman's improve- ment outline became focused more on preparation and evaluation — not just game by game, but play by play and player by player. Freeman explained that just because a particular play or a final score brings a desired result, it doesn't render it an unequivocal success. "That's the challenge for me as a head coach every day, to find a way to improve no matter what the result of the past game is," Freeman said. "Winning can mask the reality of what's going on in a game. So, that's what the challenge is for me as a leader, for us as a football program, to truly find ways to have constant improve- ment no matter what the outcome." Given the strangeness to how the first five games of Freeman's head coaching career played out — including the for- gettable Fiesta Bowl loss last January to Oklahoma State — we'll forgive the rookie skipper for becoming unsettled while try- ing to settle on a consistent message for his team. Remarkably, Notre Dame both trailed and led in all five of those games. "It starts with the head coach making sure you really improve as a leader," said Freeman, whose message to his team has changed, but his acceptance to per- sonal accountability has not. As mentioned before, if Notre Dame could've found a way, any way, to beat Marshall, we wouldn't be having these coaching conversations. But that's how one bad loss can change the tone of an entire season, and Freeman knows it. "For me, after Marshall, I said, 'Hold on. Let's really, really look at how I am as a leader and where I can improve,'" Free- man said, "it starts with the head coach." Obviously, every program conducts in- season retrospection and self-scouting. But the pressure and perceptions drasti- cally change when you're 0-2 versus 2-0. Let's not forget how Notre Dame last season under head coach Brian Kelly started 4-0, but it could've just as easily been 2-2 after narrow three-point es- capes against Florida State in the season opener and Toledo in Game 2. And let's face it, working to improve a 2-0 team brings a certain comfort and an equity benefit compared to the uncer- tainty and urgency of fixing an 0-2 team. Look, the 2022 regular season doesn't reach the halfway post until this week- end against Stanford. So, plenty of time remains for Freeman to improve his team, put his stamp on this program and better refine his message and approach. No excuses intended, but this is a first-time head coach and essentially an entirely new coaching staff. But if there's one notable trait that Freeman demonstrated through his first six games on the job, it's an acceptance that nothing comes easy, there's infi- nitely more to learn and that he's willing to stay open-minded and leave no stone unturned to learn it. ✦ Freeman has sharpened his coaching focus on preparation and evaluation with the goal of "constant improvement, no matter what the outcome." PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER Adaptability Will Serve Marcus Freeman Well UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com