Top College Football Head Coach Open to Leaving for NFL

The well-worn path from college football to the NFL is still lucrative. Whether it's Pete Carroll, Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, or a bevy of others, top college coaches struggle to resist the temptation to use college football as a stepping stool to the NFL. After an off-season of rumors, one top college coach tellingly would not rule out coaching in the NFL in a recent interview.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman just went through an off-season that saw him significantly linked to NFL jobs, most notably the New York Giants. Those rumors didn't amount to anything, but it doesn't mean that the 40-year old Freeman won't eventually head to the NFL,

Freeman Talks About the NFL

On the NFL Network's Good Morning Football, Freeman was asked about potentially coaching in the NFL. "Never say never," admitted the Notre Dame coach. "Maybe I daydream every once in a while, where I think about it."

Freeman was careful to backtrack about his contentedness with Notre Dame. "I have the best job in America, and I say that with a strong conviction," said Freeman. "I love this place.... I'm happy and I love being here."

Marcus Freeman left the door open to taking an NFL job in the future.

"Never say never. Maybe I daydream every once in a while, where I think about it."

But he's also extremely happy at Notre Dame, where he believes he has the best job in America. pic.twitter.com/8fpJHfWd5L
— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) March 5, 2026

Freeman's History

Freeman doesn't have a history of NFL coaching and he spoke about recent NFL interest helping him understand the extent of what goes into an NFL coaching role. After an excellent playing career, Freeman was a fifth-round Draft pick in 2009 and bounced around the practice squad of three NFL teams for a season before a heart condition forced him to retire from playing.

Instead making his mark in coaching, Freeman rose to co-defensive coordinator at Purdue in 2016 at just 30 years old. A year later, he was the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati and in 2021, he became the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. After that season, Brian Kelly departed for LSU and Freeman saw himself promoted to head coach.

In four years, Freeman is 43-12 at Notre Dame, taking the team to the national title game after the 2024 season. His success has made him very popular in NFL circles.

Past College to Pro Failures

For every college-to-pro success story, there's a story of struggle to match. Lane Kiffin went 5-15 in barely over a season with the Raiders before scurrying back to college. Urban Meyer went 2-11 in Jacksonville and decided maybe he was finished with coaching. Bobby Petrino went 3-10 in Atlanta and infamously resigned by a note. Even Nick Saban was 15-17 in two seasons with the Miami Dolphins before deciding that maybe Alabama was a better fit.

Freeman will likely continue to hear NFL interest as long as he keeps winning games in South Bend. But in an era of escalating college football salaries, it's fair to wonder if more coaches might decide to say, "Thanks, but no thanks." Freeman isn't guaranteeing that outcome, however.

Even legendary college coach Lou Holtz took a shot at the NFL, but his one-year struggle sent Holtz back to college coaching-- and ultimately to Notre Dame. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images