Marcus Freeman Is The Perfect Person To Further Lou Holtz's Notre Dame Legacy

No coach in South Bend since Lou Holtz has truly loved Notre Dame for what it is, not what it could do for them, until Marcus Freeman

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after a touchdown in the first half of a NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Notre Dame Football program has had plenty of reasons to be extra motivated to have a championship season in 2026. After a bitter playoff snub followed by waves of ridicule for bowing out of the prestigious Pop-Tart Bowl, the Irish have already had an extra fire ignited within regarding what comes next for this program. Now, on top of all these preexisting motivational conditions, Lou Holtz, the last man to hoist the title trophy in South Bend, has passed away.

Marcus Freeman is the closest thing to Lou that Notre Dame has had

Since Lou Holtz left South Bend, no coach, until Marcus Freeman, has struck me as fully understanding, loving, and respecting Notre Dame. Marcus Freeman just "gets" Notre Dame, in the way Lou did. He understands that the lady who sits atop that golden dome is what this is all about, not his individual ego or bank account.

Both Coach Holtz and Freeman are exceptional communicators who can work with people and connect with them in all areas of life. Each coach also has the gift of motivating that comes naturally to so few in this world, regardless of their field of occupation.

The dream each Notre Dame fan has had has been to see Lou Holtz celebrating Notre Dame's next national championship with Marcus Freeman. That can't happen now, but Marcus Freeman and his team can do the next best thing: Win the title in Coach Holtz's honor.

Remembering the life and legacy of Lou Holtz pic.twitter.com/8WiEtVr6fT

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) March 4, 2026

2026 could be a very special year for Notre Dame, everything has lined up

Notre Dame is in its title window under Marcus Freeman. The Irish have a terrific staff and one of the most talented rosters in the sport. The team also benefits from a very manageable schedule and plenty of motivational fuel to propel it to greatness. It just feels right, it feels like Marcus Freeman's time, Notre Dame's time to shine once again. The story basically writes itself after all this program has been through; it just needs the proper ending.

While expectations are off the charts for Notre Dame in 2026, there are no promises and no guarantees, but the ingredients of a special season are in place, and Marcus Freeman has earned the right to be the man to take the title torch from Coach Holtz.

Now it's up to Freeman and his team to deliver.

For the Notre Dame family, for themselves, and for Lou's honor.