Marcus Freeman Addresses Coaching for National Title on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The coach is seeking to become the first Black and Asian coach to win the national title.

Marcus Freeman before the national championship between No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 6 Ohio State on Jan. 20, 2025. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On Monday, college football's 2024 season will come to an end when No. 6 Ohio State and No. 3 Notre Dame play for the national championship.

The game coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman has had to field a number of questions about his attempt to become the first Black and Asian coach to win the national championship. Freeman has been somewhat reluctant to address such questions, preferring to keep the focus on his team, but on Saturday he spoke at length about not allowing the game to get in the way of the holiday.

"What I don't want to do is lump the national championship game with what Dr. King has done for our country, right. January 20th, MLK Day, is about celebrating the life of Dr. King and the impact he's made on our country," Freeman said. "None of that light should be taken away by this national championship game."

Freeman's father, Michael, is African American, while his mother, Chong, is Korean American.

"The example he set for so many others of not only to talk about the beliefs you have but to actually put those beliefs into action and to make change and to fight for what you believe in is a legacy that I hope to follow and every person in our program follows. And no matter what the color of your skin is, the example he set for Americans I think is tremendous," Freeman said.

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