Irish eyes haven’t had much cause for smiling over the last few weeks, but they got some on Monday morning.
After weeks of rampant speculation that he would bolt the college gridiron for the NFL ranks, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman announced on social media that he would be returning for 2026.
Not only is he back for 2026, but according to Yahoo’s Pat Forde, “Freeman and ND have agreed to a restructured contract that puts him in the ‘top tier’ in compensation among college coaches.”
According to Forde, Freeman informed two NFL teams interested in hiring him that he intended to stay at Notre Dame.
While the exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, Forde reports that “Freeman signed a six-year contract last year, and this revised agreement adds one more year to the end, extending him through 2031.”
As Forde reports, “Despite the high degree of interest from the NFL, sources with knowledge of the situation said Freeman’s decision came down to trusting the leadership alignment at Notre Dame, the experience of working with college-age athletes, and the desire to make a run at a championship in 2026.”
Freeman, 39, has amassed one of the most impressive records of any coach in college football in his brief time since taking over for Brian Kelly in 2021. Overall, Freeman has posted a 43-12 record, good enough for a .782 winning percentage, sixth best in school history.
Most importantly, however, he has brought Notre Dame its only playoff wins – a three-win run last year that brought the Irish to the national championship game against Ohio State.
The Irish have one of the best recruiting classes in the country heading into next season and are expected to be major players when the transfer portal opens next week.
In addition, Notre Dame has returning starters at key offensive and defensive positions and is expected to be ranked safely inside the preseason top 10.