College sports are super stressful. Less so for the fans, but infinitely more so for the players. Double that quotient, and you’ll arrive at, maybe, a fraction of the stress a coach goes through. They’re the ones calling the shots, constantly thinking about the program, thinking about recruitment, and making sure their players end up going pro. So when you’ve so much on your plate, you genuinely need someone who understands you on the same wavelength. And that’s exactly what’s been happening behind the scenes in South Bend.

All the stresses and glories of the sporting world have led Marcus Freeman to share a beautiful bond with a colleague. And it’s not just a bond with anyone; it’s with someone who has won a plethora of national titles, first as a player and then as the head coach. So, when women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey speaks about her bond with football HC Marcus Freeman, it’s more than just professional courtesy. It’s friendship, real and simple, and the most genuine bond you can think of. And Ivey shared a glimpse of this beautiful bond with Blue & Gold.

“I mean, we’re really great friends,” Ivey told Blue & Gold. “He’s somebody that I can lean on and vice versa. We communicate throughout the season. And, he’s somebody I trust. He knows that we both just support each other, very encouraging of each other.” The Fighting Irish programs may operate in completely different spheres, but their coaches don’t. Ivey and Freeman might seem like they’re walking in parallel lines, but nope, they connect quite a few times, bouncing ideas, sharing struggles, and showing up for each other in ways most athletic departments could only dream of. 

Whether it’s recruiting, practices, or simply being there, these two are proving that success starts with support. “He comes to my practices. I come to his practices,” she added. “And we talk about the [college] landscape. We talk about recruiting. We talk about leadership; we talk about things in his program, my program, so we’re both good sounding boards for each other.” There was a survey that said that Notre Dame fans are some of the happiest fans in the nation. We think the happiness extends beyond just the fans. When your coaches share a deep friendship like Marcus Freeman and Ivey do, what else could the environment on the campus be, if not a positive one?

The connection has also helped create a culture across Notre Dame athletics that values collaboration over competition. “I’m grateful to have that, because that’s not normal,” Ivey said. “It’s very genuine. To have that type of friendship and having a colleague that supports us so much is really amazing.” And the friendship runs deep, even into some lighthearted competition. When asked who would win a game of HORSE, Ivey laughed and said, “Oh, absolutely, it would be me. I’d like to tell him I said that before he reads this.”

In a college sports landscape that is brimming with stress and competition, coaches often guard their turf. But the Ivey-Freeman dynamic stands out. It’s a reminder that you can have all the pressure in the world. However, when you share a bond of authenticity and camaraderie with someone who goes through the same, the journey becomes infinitely easier. And for Notre Dame, that might just be its biggest strength heading into a new era of competition: two of its top leaders standing shoulder to shoulder but competing over a game of Horse.

Marcus Freeman zeroes in on the defensive anchor for 2027

Marcus Freeman might have a really great friend in Niele Ivey to share his recruiting woes, but it seems like he won’t be having any. The Irish have officially thrown their hat in the ring for 2027 five-star defensive lineman Jalen Brewster, a name that’s sending tremors through the recruiting landscape. At 6-foot-3 and 302 pounds, Brewster is a foundational piece, and Freeman seems to know it. “I am blessed to receive an offer from @NDFootball,” Brewster posted, tagging both Irish DL coach Al Washington and his high school HC Nick Ward, signaling that Notre Dame’s pitch has landed on solid ground.

The offer came just days after Brewster visited a major SEC powerhouse, which makes the timing feel more like a calculated move than a coincidence. “We see a lot of ourselves in Jalen,” Washington said earlier this week. “He plays with a controlled aggression that’s hard to teach, and that’s exactly the type of player Coach Freeman wants anchoring the front seven.” The Irish staff is pitching legacy and fit. Brewster has the chance to be the new face of Marcus Freeman’s evolving physical defense.

If he joins the fold, Brewster would follow in the path being paved by 2026 standouts like Khary Adams and Tiki Hola, recruits who’ve bought into Marcus Freeman’s vision for a defense built on grit and explosiveness. “Our message to guys like Jalen is simple,” Washington added. “We’ve built a room that’s about competing from day one. If you’re ready to work, we’re ready to develop you into something special.” With Alabama, Georgia, and LSU also circling, Notre Dame’s fight is just beginning, but the Irish have officially joined the battle for one of Texas’s baddest young disruptors.