Major football coach predicted to stay in college amid NFL rumors

Speculation continues to swirl around one of college football's best young head coaches and an NFL vacancy, one insider thinks his decision is already made.

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Marcus Freeman to the New York Giants is the latest coaching carousel talking point that just won’t go away, amid rampant speculation that the Notre Dame head coach could have an escape plan ready to jump to the NFL, and that the interest may be mutual.

But where do things actually stand in the most talked-about coaching situation?

Analyst predicts Marcus Freeman's future

Behind the scenes, the race is on for Notre Dame to come up with contractual terms to keep Freeman on their sideline, and from what it sounds like, the latest trend may be pointing in that direction.

Right now, the current trajectory suggests that Freeman will turn down any interest from the NFL and remain the Notre Dame head football coach into the future, according to On3 Sports analyst Eric Hansen.

“If Freeman does what I believe he will and he and agent Clint Dowdle find common contract ground -- and athletic director Pete Bevacqua doesn’t appear to be offering even tactical resistance -- the decision to stay in South Bend would be for the long haul,” Hansen said.

That may be what Notre Dame fans want to hear, but until a decision is made official, the lure of New York and the NFL is still out there.

NFL insiders reveal Giants, Freeman interest

The talk connecting Freeman to the Giants is not just random speculation at this point.

Freeman has also emerged as one of the most prominent names on the shortlist being assembled by the Giants franchise itself, according to The Athletic.

That is something to keep an eye on, as the NFL coaching bonanza is only just getting started, and Freeman is considered one of the best young coaching minds in circulation at any level.

What Freeman has done at Notre Dame

Freeman has just completed his fourth season at the helm of the Fighting Irish program and boasts a 43-12 overall record, winning more than 78 percent of his games.

Freeman led Notre Dame to a No. 2 national ranking and an appearance in the national championship game against his alma mater a year ago.

His team went 10-2 this season and seemed poised for another berth in the College Football Playoff, before the committee reversed course on Selection Day and left the Irish out of the field, leading the school to decline playing in a bowl game. 

Notre Dame won't let him go

Cognizant of the talk around his head man, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua is not willing to watch from the sidelines if his successful football coach is going to be courted by opportunities in the NFL, or anywhere.

“I would never say we wouldn’t match anything when it comes to Marcus,” Bevacqua said recently.

“I make sure that he knows that he will be where he deserves to be, and that is at the top, top, top tier of college football coaches when it comes to compensation every year.

“I view his contract, although a multiyear contract, as a living, breathing document that we will revise every year as need be to make sure he’s where he deserves to be. He knows he has that commitment from me and more importantly from the university.”

How exactly that commitment is formalized remains the sticking point that will either keep Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame, or have him looking elsewhere.