Blue and Gold Illustrated

4 NOV. 1, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED T he opportunities for Marcus Freeman to either throw in the towel on his guys or to have his players quit on him have surfaced multiple times during his three- plus years on the job. But through a calm and con- fident approach to handling any coaching crisis, Freeman keeps his program together and puts it back on course as well as any skipper in the country. The proof is in the performance. Crisis No. 1: As a rookie head coach in 2022, Freeman lost the first two games that season and tumbled from the No. 5 team in the country to out of the top 25 in two forgettable weeks. Inexperienced, unproven, with a home loss to Mar- shall, Freeman already seemed in way over his head just two games into this difficult new job. "It starts with me as the head coach and looking at myself and saying, 'What do I have to do to help this football team?'" Freeman said after the Mar- shall loss. And with five ranked opponents still remaining on the schedule, Freeman's rookie season could've turned south, fast. Instead, Freeman rallied the troops, stayed the course, never panicked, beat four of those five ranked foes, and fin- ished that season 9-4 and with a bowl win against a good South Carolina team. Crisis No. 2: As terrific as Freeman's in-season resurrection project was in 2022, the turnaround he guided in 2024 was even more impressive. Another un- thinkable loss in Week 2 — this time to Northern Illinois — put a season and a fan base on the brink only one week into September. Add to that head-shaking NIU upset all of the countless injuries to front-line players, and a six-win season seemed more likely than a 14-win season and a national runner-up finish. Offensive line starters Charles Jag- usah and Ashton Craig, talented defen- sive ends Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore, nose guard Howard Cross III, along with preseason All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison were just a few of the key players who were sidelined for parts of last season. In a violent sport, every college football coach in the country cites "next man up" readiness as one of the strengths of their team. But very few can fill their injury voids without miss- ing a beat in the way that Freeman has through a message of confidence, readi- ness and importance that he instills in all of his players. It's been a remarkable and resonating approach. "You can't wait until your number is called on game day to get ready," Free- man said last season while an injury rush sidelined at least 11 key contribu- tors for varying amounts of time. "What it speaks to is the guys that are prepared to be ready. They don't know if their number is going to be called on Saturday or not. But because of an injury, now they're thrust into action." During one post-practice press ses- sion last November, then Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden said he had never seen anything like the endless injury avalanche, and Freeman's handling of it. "I have not been a part of anything where we lost the caliber of guys that we've lost," Golden explained. "Surviv- ing it just speaks to the leadership of Coach Freeman, the leadership of our captains and the unity of the group." Crisis No. 3: Fast-forward to this season, and Freeman's coach- i n g p rowe ss wa s i m m e d i a te ly pushed to its limits again. Another 0-2 start, a lost-looking defense, and more key injuries provided nu- merous reasons for this 2025 season to slip away before it really even got started. Instead, Freeman calmly rallied the troops, challenged himself and his staff, told his guys to focus on the little things, not the big picture, and the end result would take care of itself. The message took, and Notre Dame under Freeman looks poised for a third-straight 10-win season and perhaps a second-straight playoff push when all hope seemed lost just two weeks and two losses in. During an offseason interview with SiriusXM, former Irish great and NFL Hall of Fame tailback Jerome Bettis per- fectly explained Freeman's sincere and impactful coaching style this way. "What you see is what you get," said Bettis, who's son Jerome Bettis Jr. is an Irish freshman wide receiver. "I think that resonates with the young men that decide to go to Notre Dame. It's because [Freeman] is organic in his approach." Following the recent firing of Penn State head coach James Franklin — a national semifinalist skipper last season — Freeman warned, "Don't ever get too comfortable." And it's Freeman's chronic discomfort while trying to improve, coupled with a willingness to learn from his losses and setbacks rather than hiding from them, that has made this program panic-free and seemingly crisis-proof. "I'm thoroughly impressed," Bettis added of Freeman. "And for me to send my son there, it means a lot because I be- lieve in Coach Freeman as a teacher." ✦ Last season, Freeman showed his ability to deal with adversity when Notre Dame rebounded from a loss to Northern Illinois with a 14-win campaign and a berth in the national title game. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com. UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE Marcus Freeman's Calm Approach Is Paying Off

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