Notre Dame Coaches Niele Ivey and Marcus Freeman Share Their Friendship

Two young head coaches carrying the weight of some of the most storied programs in their respective sports

Mar 3, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Niele Ivey greets football coach Marcus Freeman after Notre Dame defeated the Louisville Cardinals at the Purcell Pavilion. | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

When you think of college football history, the Notre Dame football program is probably the first you think of.

When you think of women's college basketball UConn and Tennessee have the richest pasts but Notre Dame is certainly in the team photo.

Both those teams are currently among the very best in their respective sports at Notre Dame, and both have relatively young, first-time head coaches leading them.

Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman has jumped into everything Notre Dame since being promoted in December of 2021. One of those things has been supporting other teams on campus and perhaps the one he goes to watch in-person the most is the star-filled women's basketball team.

Niele Ivey has coached that since the 2020-21 season and has Notre Dame fighting for a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament this year. As Ivey prepares her team to defend the ACC Tournament championship it won last year, she was part of an ACC conference call earlier this week and was asked about Freeman's support of Fighting Irish hoops.

“We have a lot of respect for each other,” Ivey said. “Just right from the beginning, (we) just really clicked. And (we) really support each other through highs and lows.

“ We’re always there for each other, and I'm grateful. He's very genuine, and he genuinely supports me and our program.

“And it's always amazing having somebody with his profile and status to come support us. He's a girl dad. He has a couple daughters that he brings to the games, and his children and his wife. So, it's awesome to have that support. And he knows that it's mutual.”

Niele Ivey on Commonalities with Marcus Freeman

“We have a lot in common,” Ivey said. “And so, I think that's how our relationship has grown. Right when he got the job, he texted me right away. We met right away, and then ever since then, just been great friends and colleagues.

“We just bounce ideas off of each other. We're both big supporters of each other's programs, especially, again, high-profile, high-stress types of jobs here at Notre Dame.”

Freeman was able to lead Notre Dame football on an almost magical run to the national championship game this past January. Here's hoping that Ivey can get her Fighting Irish squad to do just one better this March.

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