$54 million head coach predicted to leave major college football program for NFL job

South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman greets fans while walking to the stadium before facing the Syracuse Orange at Notre Dame Stadium. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Notre Dame finished the 2025 regular season 10–2 after opening 0–2 and then winning 10 straight, yet the Irish were controversially left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

The CFP committee selected Miami over Notre Dame for an at-large spot, prompting public frustration from the program’s leadership and an institutional decision to opt out of postseason play for the year.

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua has since been vocal about the program’s treatment and publicly reaffirmed his support for head coach Marcus Freeman as the fallout unfolded.

Both before and after the CFP decision, reports surfaced linking Freeman to NFL franchises exploring head-coaching changes, most notably the New York Giants, who fired Brian Daboll on November 10 following a 2–8 start.

Against that backdrop, The Athletic’s Justin Williams recently offered a bold prediction: Freeman would lead Notre Dame to a national championship in 2026, then depart for an NFL head-coaching job.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with his players after winning a NCAA football game 49-10 against Navy at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Freeman became Notre Dame’s head coach in December 2021 after a rapid rise through the college coaching ranks. A former All-Big Ten linebacker at Ohio State from 2004 to 2008, Freeman transitioned into coaching after a brief NFL career, beginning as a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 2010 before stops at Kent State, Purdue, and Cincinnati.

Now through five seasons at Notre Dame, Freeman owns a 43–12 overall record (.782 winning percentage) with three straight double-digit win seasons, highlighted by a run to the College Football Playoff national championship game in the 2024 season.

The Irish have reached a bowl game every year under Freeman, winning all but one, and he has been widely credited for elevating recruiting, sustaining elite defensive play, and building a strong program culture.

As a result, Notre Dame has moved aggressively to retain him. Freeman signed a new six-year contract extension in December 2024, and sources later reported an enhanced, restructured deal in December 2025 that pushed his total compensation to $54 million through 2031, placing him firmly among the highest-paid coaches in college football.

Freeman is a young, high-profile coach with recent national title and double-digit win credentials; tie that in with Notre Dame's visibility, and it's easy to see why he has become a logical candidate for NFL openings.

However, while the scenario Williams outlined is within the realm of possibility, Notre Dame has taken concrete contract and retention steps that make an immediate post-title exit less automatic.

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