Marcus Freeman Is Going To Win At Notre Dame Because Of His Values
None of us know whether or not Marcus Freeman is going to be truly successful at Notre Dame. And by truly successful I mean building a program that competes for and wins championships, one that can go toe-to-toe with the nation's best programs on and off the field.
But if I were a betting man I would put my money on Freeman achieving a level of success Notre Dame has not had in over three decades. I'd put my money on Freeman being the coach who finally restores Notre Dame to all of its glory.
Or should I say, he'll return the "Golden Standard."
There are many reasons for this, but it all boils down to one basic reality, and that is that Marcus Freeman has fully embraced what makes Notre Dame unique .... or should I say, special.
Freeman's latest decision is to return to a pregame Mass, and for his players to begin their walk to the stadium from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. It's just another in a long line of decisions by Freeman that embrace Notre Dame's tradition.
His acceptance of Notre Dame's uniqueness has not gone unnoticed by former players.
"It sounds somewhat trite to say, but Coach Freeman gets it," former Notre Dame tight end Oscar McBride told Irish Breakdown. "Bringing back pregame Mass for the program shows the entire Notre Dame community that he is fully committed to and immersed in not only the storied traditions of the university, but also embraces those traditions … further understanding that Notre Dame is an institution of not only the highest academic and athletic standards but one of faith, growth and understanding."
After years of former players feeling like they were outsiders of a program they helped build, Freeman has made reaching out to past players a top priority.
"His mindfulness is uncanny; and he will continue to earn the trust and respect of the Notre Dame family throughout his tenure," continued McBride, who graduated from Notre Dame in 1994. "He’s not trying to change Notre Dame, he’s accepting Notre Dame for what it is and what it can be in impacting the lives of those he coaches and mentors. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. Bravo Coach Freeman!”
There's more to it than Freeman's decisions to embrace Notre Dame. If we're being honest, this should be obvious. Any coach that is hired by Notre Dame should be smart enough to realize he must embrace what makes the program, and the university, unique.
It goes much deeper for Freeman, and that ultimately is why I believe he'll find true success at Notre Dame. For Freeman it's not about being practical or having common sense in areas where the former head coach did not. Embracing Notre Dame's uniqueness is a no brainer for Freeman because the core values that serve as the foundation of Notre Dame's legacy are in line with the core values that have driven Freeman as a coach, as a husband, and as a father.
I am not an alum of Notre Dame, but I've had the good fortune of being a colleague of people that are. Growing up as a fan of Notre Dame I got my news and information from legends like Lou Somogyi and Tim Prister, and getting to work alongside them was one of the joys of joining the Notre Dame beat over a decade ago. Somogyi and Prister were both graduates of Notre Dame, which meant their perspective on what happens within the program comes from a place that I cannot replicate.
Speaking to Prister, the Senior Editor at Irish Illustrated, gave me a unique perspective on Freeman's actions upon arriving at Notre Dame. It's a perspective that a non-alums cannot fully appreciate.
"The way Marcus Freeman embraces Notre Dame, its traditions and what it stands for is almost like he is an alum," Prister told Irish Breakdown. "His recruitment as a football player 20 years ago – he chose Ohio State over Notre Dame – left an indelible impression on him. He understood Notre Dame and its long-term benefits at a young age."
Upon being hired, Freeman spoke about the impact being recruited by Notre Dame had on him, and that certainly played a role in the new Irish head coach being so willing to embrace the unique challenge that is Notre Dame. From everything I can tell during my engagements with Notre Dame fans, former players and alums, Freeman is being embraced in a way I have never seen.
Prister hit on a key reason why that is.
"When you grow up in the Notre Dame culture and what it stands for, you want the football coach to 'love Notre Dame,'" continued Prister. "It’s an essential part of making it work. You’re not going to change the essence of Notre Dame."
Freeman doesn't need to try and change Notre Dame because his core values and the program's core values are in line. For all his victories, the former head coach never truly embraced Notre Dame. You don't hear Freeman talking about shopping down a different aisle, and you don't hear him complaining about the weather or the academic standards or the fact players have to go to class as reasons he can't be successful at Notre Dame.
Instead of spending his time blaming Notre Dame for the reasons he can't win a championship, something we all lived with the previous 12 years, Freeman has spent the first five months of his tenure explaining why Notre Dame being the way it is will be at the foundation for his success, not an obstacle to be overcome.
"The best way to follow such success is to understand Notre Dame’s standards, embrace those guidelines, and wrap yourself in the uniqueness of Notre Dame," Prister said, noting that Freeman has big shoes to fill. "When you do that, you increase your probability of success. Marcus Freeman has shrouded himself, his family and his program in the Notre Dame way. It’s the most logical approach, and with Freeman, it’s genuine."
And that last part is the key, it's genuine. This is who Freeman is. He isn't acting a certain way in order to endear himself to alums, fans, recruits or the media. He is being himself, this is who he is, this is what he believes.
Oscar McBride isn't just an alum and a former player, he played for Lou Holtz, which means he knows what it is like to have that standard of excellence demanded of him every day, and in every facet of his life. Prister covered the entire Holtz tenure and grew up in the area during a time when Notre Dame was the nation's premier program. Their perspective is unique because they aren't just knowledgeable about Notre Dame's tradition, they lived that tradition.
Freeman is going to win at Notre Dame because he has embraced this standard. Freeman is going to win because he believes bringing players into this program not only means wins on the football field, he knows that being at Notre Dame will have an impact on the young men he recruits that goes way past gridiron success.
That was at the heart of who Freeman hired to coach along side him. Freeman didn't just hire men who are excellent coaches, he hired a staff filled with coaches who are openly men of strong faith. He hired a staff with a history full of placing as much value as building up young men off the field as they do on it. He hired a staff that understands being a players coach isn't about hugs and kisses, it's about valuing young people, and understanding that it also means pushing them beyond what they believe they are capable of achieving.
It all comes back to the Golden Standard.
Freeman understands that success at Notre Dame means winning championships on the field, but also embracing that at the heart of building on-field champions at Notre Dame means building up young men who will not only be stars on the field, but young men that will leave the program prepared to thrive as husbands and fathers.
This is who Freeman is at his core, this is what Notre Dame is about at its core, and that is why this marriage between coach and institution has a chance to do amazing things. If the institution supports the coach the way the coach has embraced the institution, Irish fans are going to realize the full potential of the Notre Dame football program.
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