$54 million college football coach strongly linked to historic NFL team

A coach at a major college football program has been heavily connected with an NFL head coaching vacancy.

Nov 22, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with players after scoring against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The NFL coaching carousel has begun to spin since the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.

The Tennessee Titans and New York Giants were the two franchises that parted ways with their head coaches during the middle of the regular season.

When the regular season ended, the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals all made coaching changes.

Another franchise was added to the group in search of new coaches after NFL Wild-Card Weekend, when longtime Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down.

While every coaching change in the NFL is significant, the Steelers' job opening is on another level. Tomlin's resignation marks the fourth time the job has been vacant since the 1969 offseason.

Chuck Noll was the longest-tenured head coach during this period, coaching the Steelers from 1969 to 1991. Bill Cowher succeeded Noll, serving as the Steelers' head coach from 1992 to 2006. Tomlin had held the role since 2007 before announcing his resignation on Tuesday.

The carousel is in a cycle where coaches who have previously held NFL head coaching positions, like John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski, are considered the hottest commodities for vacancies. The best coordinators in the league are not as valuable in this cycle as they have been in others.

However, one name has continued to appear in searches from the college ranks. The Giants reportedly had interest in Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman earlier in the offseason, but the Fighting Irish added an extension to his contract in December.

With the Steelers job now vacant, Freeman is once again being linked to the NFL. Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky suggested the Steelers look to Freeman on "NFL Live."

"If I were the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think the first name that I would call would be Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame."@danorlovsky7 weighs in on how the Steelers should move forward in their search for a new head coach ✍️ pic.twitter.com/OzzdyWn75q

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 13, 2026

"If I were the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think the first name that I would call would be Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame," Orlovsky said. "I would call Marcus Freeman, and I don't think I would get off the phone. I would do everything I could to throw everything I could at Marcus Freeman. He's one of the great leaders in football right now, college or NFL. I think he fits a lot of the characteristics we've seen from Mike Tomlin and Bill Cowher."

Freeman worked his way up the coaching ladder as a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator with stops at Kent State, Purdue and Cincinnati before taking on the same roles at Notre Dame in 2021. When Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for the LSU head coaching job, the Fighting Irish promoted Freeman to head coach.

In four seasons as head coach at Notre Dame, Freeman has accumulated a 43-12 overall record. In 2024, Freeman guided the Fighting Irish to their first College Football Playoff appearance since 2020 and first national championship appearance since 2012.

Should Freeman leave for the Steelers, he would be making a jump that has challenged some of the very best college football coaches. Both Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban returned to the college ranks after unsuccessful NFL stints in the early 2000s.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images