Marcus Freeman promoted to head coach at ND

[JoAllan]

Well he is extremely young for a head coach and I think he will be able to inject some excitement into that program. Yeah they have been really good under Brian Kelly but I never got the vibe that everyone enjoyed it there. It seemed like a case of a great coach but he wasn’t that relatable to the players and may have rubbed some people the wrong way. I guess we shall see how it all unfolds.

great post by the way.

I have some ND friends……and from what I gather…..everyone definitely didn’t love it (with Kelly).

Most ND folk seem to be very happy and excited…….then you got folks like me (which I’m not a fan in the least) that seem like it’s a reach and early………however a “reach” usually has to come early……or you lose out.

could be a really good hire…….and if so….it could be for a long time.

Freeman will definitely have the program fired up, and should bring a renewed excitement.

Just seems almost like…..wow (simply to me) because the guy has only been a DC for 5 years.

 

[stillavol]

This may be a great hire…….that’s yet to be determined.

However just from the standpoint of ND being a big time program and have been winning a lot……..this is a hugely underwhelming hire.

Again the guy may be the next big thing……I certainly don’t know. However he’s only been a DC for 5 years now…….and only 1 year at ND………1 year as a DC at Purdue, 3 years as a DC in Cincinnati and 1 at ND………doesn’t make one think………big time HC.
number
ND is 56th in total D this year…….and tied for 11th in scoring D while only playing 1 team which is currently ranked (and they lost that game).

Seems like a HUGE reach.

ND is 29th in total defense. Cincy went from 94th to 8th under him. As for scoring defense yes he was 11th. And though they only played one ranked team, they also didnt play Bowling Green, Tenn Tech, S Car, and Vandy. 4 teams near the bottom in scoring.

As for recruiting, ND is top 5 (as of today) in 2022. All of his recruits are on defense. He has the number 3, 9, 11, and 27th rated linebackers. And the number 22, 29, and 40 defensive linemen. I would love to have those at UT. Agreed this doesn't make him a successful head coach. Only time will tell.

 

[jim pique]

Why didn't they hire Shitano?All the ESPN mouths said UT was.stupid they did not.He's really tearing things up at Rutgers.They lost.63-14 or some such crap to a little ten team.And remember when Urban Cryer left Ohio State,did the AD make Shiano interim head coach.Hell no.They went with "unknown" Ryan Day.Give Freeman his shot and shut it up.

 

[jim pique]

Why didn't they hire Shitano?All the ESPN mouths said Tennessee
was.stupid they did not.He's really tearing things up at Rutgers.They lost.63-14 or some such crap to a little ten team.And remember when Urban Cryer left Ohio State,did the AD make Shiano interim head coach.Hell no.They went with "unknown" Ryan Day.Give Freeman his shot and shut it up.

 

[JoAllan]

ND is 29th in total defense. Cincy went from 94th to 8th under him. As for scoring defense yes he was 11th. And though they only played one ranked team, they also didnt play Bowling Green, Tenn Tech, S Car, and Vandy. 4 teams near the bottom in scoring.

As for recruiting, ND is top 5 (as of today) in 2022. All of his recruits are on defense. He has the number 3, 9, 11, and 27th rated linebackers. And the number 22, 29, and 40 defensive linemen. I would love to have those at UT. Agreed this doesn't make him a successful head coach. Only time will tell.

What does Tennessee’s schedule have to do with anything? Tennessee played against some of the best O’s in the country…….3 of the top 6.

I have stated I personally thought it was a reach and probably early.

Having 1 good year at recruiting…….doesn’t necessarily make you one of the best recruiters. Was it him? Or because ND has been doing great? Or partly Kelly too? Who knows yet?

Just said he “hadn’t” been a strong recruiter……..hopefully (for ND as I don’t care one way or the other….except you like to see young coaches succeed) he can continue.

FSU 73rd scoring O
Toledo 25th
Purdue 76th
Wisconsin 86th
Virginia tech 93rd
USC 53rd
UNC 17th
Navy 115th
Virg 24th
Georgia Tech 96th
Stanford 114th
And Cincy 8th

Tennessee literally played 3 teams in the top 6 of O……..ND played 4 in the top 25. Tennessee played 4 of the top 18, 5 of the top 35 and 6 of the top 42……….ND had still just played those 4.

Again though Tennessee and their schedule has nothing to do with anything.

I hope Feeman kills it, simply because he’s young and it’s his first HC job. However other than “excitement” (because folks like him and he’s young) there isn’t a ton to really go on.

 

[508mikey]

I personally have had my fill of former DC's as Head Coaches...........

 

[Zues1]

Kelly said he'd make a great coach because he's black

Did he really say that?

 

[ProudVOLfan]

I feel bad for those players. Kelly didnt even believe in them enough to stick around to see if they'd get in the playoffs. They are still in the hunt. Kelly had rather take the money than possibly get a ring with his team.

I normally despise Notre Dame. But if they do happen to make the playoffs, I'm cheering for them hardcore. And I hope Kelly gets ZERO credit or ring. Jerkbag is everything wrong with sports today.

I have never liked his smug a$$ for some reason. It's not hard to tell he's a jackass

 

[CAVPUT]

Not exactly a wow hire. Going cheap like UT. Kelly must have cost them a ton of money to settle with the family of the kid that died at practice.

Good for them! About time schools got smart about the insanity involving these ridiculous salaries. Ill be pulling for them now!

 

[perico]

This may be a great hire…….that’s yet to be determined.

However just from the standpoint of ND being a big time program and have been winning a lot……..this is a hugely underwhelming hire.

Again the guy may be the next big thing……I certainly don’t know. However he’s only been a DC for 5 years now…….and only 1 year at ND………1 year as a DC at Purdue, 3 years as a DC in Cincinnati and 1 at ND………doesn’t make one think………big time HC.

ND is 56th in total D this year…….and tied for 11th in scoring D while only playing 1 team which is currently ranked (and they lost that game).

Seems like a HUGE reach.

They may be overreaching depending on how good of a coach he is, but not on the potential they feel he has. Bob Stoops retired at the top of his game and handed over the program to Lincoln Riley. Notre Dame is in a similar position right now. They have been in contention for the championship off and on for the last decade. They are never good enough to win it, but are as good as they are going to get. The program is in good shape.

 

[VFFL@THE BEACH]

Marcus Freeman will do well at ND......He already won a recruiting battle by keeping his OC......looks like a guy who knows to keep good people around and let them do what they do

He can be very successful with ND schedule, get a playoff look every year because its ND. I am not a Kelly fan and hope we beat the piss out of them next year. G.B.O.!

 

[sechamp2012]

He is not ready to be a head coach at this level. Stupid

On many levels, this is a great hire but sometimes you never know about assistants. Sometimes they are what they are the yin to the yang. Some are the great recruiters and coddlers to offset the hardnosed HC and the players love them. It's just sometimes when you become the man it's just overwhelming. Seen it happen a lot IMO about a 50% chance this works out. It's not Gerry Faust bad but it is not a home run. The home run would have been if Kelly & LSU got a 35 yo to follow as a DC and go from there. This may be too big-time a job for a 35 y o that never was a Head Coach. It may have been a better gradual climb if he had followed Fickle at Cinncinatti since he was familiar with that program.

 

[Jaingo]

I feel bad for those players. Kelly didnt even believe in them enough to stick around to see if they'd get in the playoffs. They are still in the hunt. Kelly had rather take the money than possibly get a ring with his team.

I normally despise Notre Dame. But if they do happen to make the playoffs, I'm cheering for them hardcore. And I hope Kelly gets ZERO credit or ring. Jerkbag is everything wrong with sports today.

Please, if you wouldn't take a higher paying job for your family and put your family first you have your priorities out of place. None of those kids are going to support him financially if they ever make it to the league so why should he care. It's easy to couch preach loyalty, but coaching is a JOB just like any other.

 

[CJBlaze]

Notre Dame's refusal to join a conference is a little bit of an obstacle for getting in the playoffs. Pretty much have to go undefeated to get in. I'd say it's one of the reasons Kelly took the LSU job. I've also heard it's hard to get some of the players in because of academics.

 

[JoAllan]

They may be overreaching depending on how good of a coach he is, but not on the potential they feel he has. Bob Stoops retired at the top of his game and handed over the program to Lincoln Riley. Notre Dame is in a similar position right now. They have been in contention for the championship off and on for the last decade. They are never good enough to win it, but are as good as they are going to get. The program is in good shape.

Solid post.

I personally still think it’s a huge reach……..simply from an experience standpoint.

However as I stated in a previous post with any “reach” type coach you have to jump early or you simply miss out. They were in need now, and it “could” work out great for them.

I’m throwing this out of left field…….so there may be nothing to this at all. ND “might” not have wanted to jump into this new 100 million dollar coaching market right now. I mean just look at all the numbers these guys have been getting (new coaches and extensions). Most of the top names are off the market…..from hires and extensions………and they had this young guy, whom everyone loves already on staff.

Again…..I don’t know much about the situation. I hope the best for the guy…….I’m confident it will be a bang or a bust……I guess we’ll see in a few years.

 

[BowlBrother85]

Kids being recruited all over the country by Notre Dame after watching the names being tossed out there for other big time programs are going, "Who?" LOL

That doesn't make any sense. If they are being recruited by Notre Dame, then they not only know who Marcus Freeman is, they have probably met him, or at the very least, spoken with him over the phone. Your take, is strictly from a fan's perspective.

I doubt we see very many commitments jump ship from Notre Dame .... if any at all. Freeman is popular with their recruits.

Late Kick: Marcus Freeman is 'killing it' at Notre Dame

 

[JoAllan]

That doesn't make any sense. If they are being recruited by Notre Dame, then they not only know who Marcus Freeman is, they have probably met him, or at the very least, spoken with him over the phone. Your take, is strictly from a fan's perspective.

I doubt we see very many commitments jump ship from Notre Dame .... if any at all. Freeman is popular with their recruits.

Late Kick: Marcus Freeman is 'killing it' at Notre Dame

As much I think this hire is a reach (again strictly from an experience standpoint) I would assume ND probably loses the fewest recruits and probably players of any team which changed coaches.

Seriously the new coach was recruiting the guys……..and ND made an extremely quick hire………that “should” lend to stability within this class.

Who knows what’s in the future.

 

[Volinlife]

Did he really say that?

Something along those lines, he was trying to fit into the latest activist culture sounded like

 

[vegasvolfan]

Oof...that's a great point. I hadn't thought about that.

Just goes to show how much of these coaching moves are purely about timing. Maybe ND thinks more highly of Freeman than Lea and would not have considered him, but you never know.

Urban Myer was the master of timing. Albeit, thus Jacksonville move isn’t like him.

 

[photovol]

I feel bad for those players. Kelly didnt even believe in them enough to stick around to see if they'd get in the playoffs. They are still in the hunt. Kelly had rather take the money than possibly get a ring with his team.

I normally despise Notre Dame. But if they do happen to make the playoffs, I'm cheering for them hardcore. And I hope Kelly gets ZERO credit or ring. Jerkbag is everything wrong with sports today.

Screw ND

 

[JoAllan]

Please, if you wouldn't take a higher paying job for your family and put your family first you have your priorities out of place. None of those kids are going to support him financially if they ever make it to the league so why should he care. It's easy to couch preach loyalty, but coaching is a JOB just like any other.

I don’t really care one way or the other.

However in 2019 Kelly made around 2.1 million……putting him around 60th in coaching salary…..right behind the coach for Navy and behind the coach for Rutgers (reportedly, as their private; however expense reports have shown to pay a bit over 1.2 million).

Heck Cutcliffe was making more.

I’m not big on the guy (not saying he can’t coach) but dang……..that guy was WAY under paid.

 

[BowlBrother85]

Kelly said he'd make a great coach because he's black

He didn't say that at all.

Notre Dame's Brian Kelly clarifies remark about Marcus Freeman as 'next head coach'

While speaking to NBC Sports in August for a segment entitled "Race in America: A Candid Conversation", Brian Kelly lauded Marcus Freeman's abilities, and then added that Freeman "is going to be the next head coach."

In the yahoo! article linked up above, Kelly clarified that he meant Marcus Freeman would be the next black coach hired to lead a major college football program. Kelly acknowledged Freeman's race, while speaking highly of him, but at no point did Kelly say that Marcus Freeman would make a great coach BECAUSE he's black. You're trying to twist that into something it wasn't.

 

[jaguinn5]

Did he really say that?

Here is a good example of someone using their own bias to misquote something and ignore context.

Kelly was involved in a televised discussion entitled "Race and Sports: A Candid Conversation" and was trying to say that his defensive coordinator was qualified and capable and was going to be the next great black coach in college football. He was trying to make the point that there are a lot of black coaches who are qualified to lead football programs.

 

[OneManGang]

I don’t really care one way or the other.

However in 2019 Kelly made around 2.1 million……putting him around 60th in coaching salary…..right behind the coach for Navy and behind the coach for Rutgers (reportedly, as their private; however expense reports have shown to pay a bit over 1.2 million).

Heck Cutcliffe was making more.

I’m not big on the guy (not saying he can’t coach) but dang……..that guy was WAY under paid.

Erm, no.

ND uses a system where certain major donors endow coaches. BK had one of these deals. The amounts are not reported as part of his salary package as they are not paid out of the athletic dept. budget.

They do this for a number of other things. For instance "The Bus" (Jerome Bettis, an ND alum} endows the scholarships for running backs.

 

[JoAllan]

Erm, no.

ND uses a system where certain major donors endow coaches. BK had one of these deals. The amounts are not reported as part of his salary package as they are not paid out of the athletic dept. budget.

They do this for a number of other things. For instance "The Bus" (Jerome Bettis, an ND alum} endows the scholarships for running backs.

Yea…….didn’t you read the post?

I stated they are private…….so they don’t have to disclose.

However from their own “accounting” they paid him a bit over 1.2 million.

On the report I read it stated he was paid an additional 1.1 million (almost).

I don’t know if he had been paid more…….however instead of just “erm no”…….why don’t you simply show us how much “extra” he was paid.