Marcus Freeman returns to the 2025 season with unfinished business. He keeps taking Notre Dame to newer heights every year, finishing his 2024 season at the National Championship. But before he became a coach, Freeman had hoped to be a star in the NFL, but an unfortunate condition forced him to tap out of the game, ending his dreams of a pro career. But is that Notre Dame HC’s biggest regret in life?

Marcus Freeman played 4 seasons in college football with OSU, the very team he lost to in the National Championship. Racking up 238 tackles, Freeman was drafted by the Chicago Bears. However, he sadly never got to play an NFL game. The Bills and the Texans picked him up briefly, but he saw the same fate. Unfortunately, just 5 months later, Freeman was forced to bid football goodbye, retiring because of a heart condition. But he continued to give his all to the sport. Immediately after, Freeman took on college football as his new arena.

Freeman found success in college football coaching that eluded him in the NFL. It came 11 years later, when Freeman moved up the ranks to take control of the Fighting Irish in the Fiesta Bowl of the 2022 season. And he has never had to look back since then. But if he could go back in time, would things have been different for him? In a July 17 episode of the Unsportsmanlike Radio show, the host asked Freeman what he would pick between his NFL career or his Natty loss to Ohio State, if he got the chance to change his past. Freeman took up that tough question with a humble smile.

“That’s an easy answer. [Definitely] change the outcome of the National Championship game,” he said. “I think in the moment when you’re young, you have this dream of playing in the NFL for 10, 15 years and figuring out life after that. And, for me, it obviously didn’t last that long. But you move on to the next chapter of your life. But I’m grateful for the opportunity and grateful for what the game of football taught me as a player,” he said, looking back at his short-lived NFL career. Now, however, Coach Freeman is ready to give back and help others do what he couldn’t.

“Now, it’s about being able to help young people reach their goals. And for me, winning that national championship is not as much about me as much as I want the players in our program, the people that sacrificed to be able to call themselves a champion. And so, that’s something I aspire to do,” Freeman added. Notre Dame continues to be a dominating factor in college football, despite being a lone wolf. But the field is not the only arena where Marcus Freeman found success. On the home front too, he manages a happy life, with values and ideals instilled in him by his family.

Marcus Freeman on his military upbringing and happy home life

Marcus Freeman comes from a military background, which makes it easy for him to get locked into things. He shared his thoughts on how that part of his life affects him with GMA host Michael Strahan. “I think about growing up, and my father instilled in me routine, getting up early, discipline, toughness, and work ethic. Those are things that as a father and as a coach and a grown-up, I instill in myself, but also into my children. [Routine] and the hard work, and you know, those types of things that being a military child, you learned at an early age,” he said. Despite that, Freeman would not have it this way at home if he didn’t have some help from his loving wife, Joanna.

Strahan joked about Freeman already having a dozen kids, but also asked him about how he manages his family and coaching life. “It’s a partnership, it’s a blend. You know, for me to be here right now, and she’s at home, with the six kids, and taking care of the thing back at South Bend, but we make it work, right? It’s a partnership,” he said. “I try to blend my home life with my work life as much as I can… And, so, it’s a sacrifice, I wouldn’t be here if she didn’t take care of the things outside of being a head coach at Notre Dame… I’m forever grateful to her,” Freeman added.

Freeman turned around a program that was largely ignored for its potential and branding. His winning the Coach of the Year for his last season’s performance is proof of that. He has all the units in place to hopefully turn that unfortunate loss into a win this year, cementing his legacy at Notre Dame for good. With a wife who works behind the scenes in order to keep the Freeman household happy, the Notre Dame HC is all set to have another glorious run in the upcoming season.