Career Timeline of Marcus Freeman: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Marcus Freeman made an impact.

Marcus Freeman is the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame, a position he has held since 2022. Prior to this, he served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Fighting Irish in 2021. Freeman's coaching career also includes assistant roles at the University of Cincinnati, Purdue University, Kent State University, and Ohio State University. He is a former linebacker himself, bringing both playing and extensive coaching experience to his current role at Notre Dame.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2009: Declared for NFL Draft

Following the 2008 season, Marcus Freeman declared for the 2009 NFL draft.

2009: NFL Draft and Retirement

In 2009, Marcus Freeman was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the NFL draft, later he was released and served on practice squads for the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans. Following the 2009 season, he retired from his playing career due to a heart condition.

2009: Drafted by Chicago Bears and Waived

In 2009, Marcus Freeman was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. He appeared in all four preseason games but was waived on September 4.

2009: Signed with Houston Texans Practice Squad

On November 4, 2009, Marcus Freeman signed with the Houston Texans practice squad, where he finished the 2009 season.

2010: Graduate Assistant at Ohio State

In 2010, Marcus Freeman served as a graduate assistant at Ohio State.

January 2011: Hired as Linebackers Coach for Kent State

In January 2011, Marcus Freeman was hired as the linebackers coach for Kent State, a position he would hold until 2012.

2012: End of Tenure at Kent State

In 2012, Marcus Freeman's tenure as linebackers coach at Kent State came to an end.

January 18, 2013: Hired as Linebackers Coach for Purdue

On January 18, 2013, Marcus Freeman was hired as the linebackers coach for the Purdue Boilermakers.

December 13, 2016: Joins Cincinnati Bearcats Football Staff

On December 13, 2016, Marcus Freeman joined the Cincinnati Bearcats football staff as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

2016: Promoted to Co-Defensive Coordinator at Purdue

In 2016, Marcus Freeman was promoted to co-defensive coordinator at Purdue University.

2018: Bearcats Defense Leads AAC

In 2018, under Marcus Freeman, the Cincinnati Bearcats' defense led the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in rushing defense, scoring defense, and total defense.

2019: Bearcats Top AAC in Scoring Defense

In 2019, the Cincinnati Bearcats finished atop the AAC ranks in scoring defense for the second-straight season under Marcus Freeman.

2020: Declined Coaching Positions

Prior to the end of the 2020 season, Marcus Freeman had declined a number of positions to remain at Cincinnati, including offers from Ohio State, Tennessee Titans, and Michigan State.

January 8, 2021: Hired as Defensive Coordinator for Notre Dame

On January 8, 2021, Marcus Freeman was hired as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

December 3, 2021: Selected as Head Coach for Notre Dame

On December 3, 2021, Marcus Freeman was selected to replace Brian Kelly as the head coach of Notre Dame, becoming the 32nd head coach in program history.

2021: Defensive Coordinator at Notre Dame

In 2021, Marcus Freeman served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Notre Dame.

2023: Solid season for Freeman's Fighting Irish

The 2023 season saw Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish finish 10-3 with a Sun Bowl victory. Key players included Audric Estime, Sam Hartman, Mitchell Evans, and Xavier Watts. The team ended the season ranked 14th.

2024: Irish Start Campaign

Marcus Freeman's 2024 squad started their campaign successfully on the road against No. 20 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas with a 23–13 win, but followed that victory up with a 16–14 loss to Northern Illinois. The Irish finished the regular season with a 10-game winning streak