NOTRE DAME, Indiana – University of Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly Dick Corbett announced the addition of Marcus Freeman to his coaching staff on Friday. Freeman will serve as Bob Hinton’s Defense Coordinator and will work directly with Irish linebackers. The hiring will be effective after the completion of the University’s standard hiring process.
“While we were looking to find someone to command our defense, it was important to find the right person for our program and Marcus and his family are just that,” said Kelly. “He has had great success in the field, both in defense and in working directly with defenders. In addition, he is considered one of the elite recruiters in the coaching ranks.
“The work that Marcus did to elevate the programs he participated in speaks for itself, but equally important is the exceptional work that he did in building relationships with his team and players. Marcus was our first choice to become our next defensive coordinator, and we are delighted that he and his family are joining us at Notre Dame. ”
Freeman comes to South Bend from his former position as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach at the University of Cincinnati, a position he held in January 2017.
The Bearcats (9-1) made national noise in 2020-21, entering the bowl season as the eighth team in the country and winning the American Athletic Conference Championship, the program’s first definitive league title since 2009, when Kelly served as Coach Cincinnati Main. Cincinnati made an appearance at the Chik-Fil-A Peach Bowl, dropping by a small margin to No. 9 in Georgia after an undefeated regular season.
The Cincinnati defense was ranked in the Top 20 nationally in several categories for 2020-21, including 13th place in total defense (324.6 yards per game) and eighth in score defense (16.8 points per game) among all FBS teams. In addition, the Bearcats were third in defense of the team’s passing efficiency (101.25), 14th in fast defense (111.1 yards per game), 15th in the red zone (0.735 rate), 17th in the fourth down (0.375 rate ), 16th in the bags team (3.0 per game) and 10th in earned turnover (21).
Bearcat’s prominent cornerback, Ahmad Gardner, won several national teams across America, being nominated for the first FWAA and USA TODAY teams, in addition to the Associated Press side teams, AFCA and The Athletic. He was also named All-AAC from the first team.
Prior to his success in 2020, Freeman was part of a UC team that trained the Bearcats for 11 consecutive seasons in 2018 and 2019, the American Athletic Conference 2019 Eastern Division Championship and consecutive bowling wins in the 2018 Military Bowl and TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl 2019.
The Bearcats finished at the top of the AAC 2019 ranking in defense points for the second consecutive season and were among the top three in the league in racing and full defense. In 2018, Cincinnati led the American in fast defense, scoring defense and total defense and ranked among the top 15 in the NCAA FBS in all three categories.
Prior to Cincinnati, Freeman spent four years in Purdue, where he trained linebackers for the four seasons and served as a co-defensive coordinator for Boilermakers in 2015. He is credited with transforming Purdue’s linebacking corps into a force with several notable disciples, including: Markus Bailey, honorable mention of the Big Ten and defense leader Boilermaker with 97 tackles; Jimmy Herman, winner of Purdue’s Guy “Red” Mackey Award and Noble E. Kizer Award, for exemplifying the overall success of the University’s intercollegiate athletics program and winning the largest GPA among football players in the 2016 calendar year; and Ja’Whaun Bentley, a USA Today Freshman All-American in 2014 and elected captain by his teammates before the 2015 season.
Freeman trained linebackers at Kent State from 2011-12, where he guided linebacker Luke Batton to the second team of the All-Mid-American Conference in 2012, after finishing with 143 tackles in total, including 80 solo stops. Linebacker CJ Malauulu was the team’s third selection in 2012, registering 72 tackles in total.
Freeman began his coaching career as an assistant coach graduated from his alma mater, Ohio, in 2010, when the Buckeyes went 12-1 with a Sugar Bowl win.
A four-year card winner for the 2004-08 Buckeyes, Freeman won the second All-Big Ten honors team in 2008, while helping bring Ohio State to four conference titles, three BCS bowling and two trips to the game national title during his career. He played in the 2009 Senior Bowl and was one of the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, spending time with the Bears, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans before a medical condition ended his playing career.
Graduated in 2007 from the state of Ohio, Freeman won the Academic All-Big Ten and academic honors in all districts. In 2011, he earned a master’s degree in sports management from the state of Ohio. He graduated from Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio, and was an All-American at Parade.
Freeman has a daughter, Bria, and he and his wife, Joanna, have six children: Vinny, Siena, Gino, Nico, Capri and Rocco.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: January 10, 1986
Hometown: Huber Hts., Ohio
Wife: Joanna
Children: Bria, Vinny, Siena, Gino, Nico, Capri, Rocco
Education: Ohio State (2007, BS; 2011, MS)
Year in Coaching: 10th
GAME CAREER
2004-08: Ohio State (Linebacker)
2009: Chicago Bears (Linebacker); Buffalo Bills (Linebacker); Houston Texans (Linebacker)
COACHING CAREER
YEAR: SCHOOL – POSITION
2010: Ohio State – Graduate Assistant
2011-12: Kent State – Linebackers
2013-15: Purdue – Linebackers
2016: Purdue – Defense Co-Coordinator / Linebackers
2017-: Cincinnati – Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers
BOWLS COACHED IN
YEAR: SCHOOL – BOWL
2010: State of Ohio – Sugar
2012: Kent State – GoDaddy.com
2018: Cincinnati – Military
2019: Cincinnati – Birmingham
2020: Cincinnati – Peach
BOWLS PLAYED
YEAR: SCHOOL – BOWL
2005: Ohio State – Fiesta
2006: Ohio State – BCS National Championship
2007: Ohio State – BCS National Championship
2008: Ohio State – Fiesta