"You're gonna get humbled": Marcus Freeman talks on handling success at Notre Dame

Marcus Freeman has coached the Notre Dame Fighting Irish since 2021. He assumed the head coach position after Brian Kelly left to join the LSU Tigers.

Since becoming head coach, Freeman has led the Fighting Irish to three straight winning seasons. His first full year saw him guide the program to a 9-4 record, the second to a 10-3 record and the third to a 14-2 run. He's arguably one of the most talented coaches in collegiate football.

On Wednesday, Freeman spoke with Adam Breneman about the difficulty of handling success at Notre Dame.

"We were on the top of the college football world in Week 1 with a huge win over (Texas) A&M on College GameDay, and then we're the laughing stock of college football after Week 2. I was like, 'Okay, we have to learn how to handle success.'

"At times throughout the year, I would remind our guys, 'Hey, we're still the same team that lost to NIU'. If we don't prepare the right way physically and mentally, right. Then we won't deserve to have success on Saturdays, and so I think that's a lesson that's going to stick with me for the rest of my career."

Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame had an almost flawless regular season record in 2024, aside from their shock Week 2 loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies. Subsequently, the loss served as a catalyst for team growth. They were unbeaten for the rest of the campaign until their loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the national championship game.

"There is a mental approach you have to have to every game," Freeman added. "I can watch the way we practice and say, 'Okay, physically we are practising well, but mentally we each got to make a decision, starting with the head coach that we are respecting our opponent in a way this game of football deserves to be respected or you're gonna get humbled.'"

What's next for Marcus Freeman?

Next up for Marcus Freeman is to build on the success he's achieved in his first three seasons as the coach of the Fighting Irish. Freeman has helped spur the team to perennial postseason contention and a spot as one of that country's most technically sound programs.

The Fighting Irish start their 2025 regular season in Miami, where they will face Carson Beck and the Hurricanes. They then have what seems to be a favorable schedule for the rest of the campaign.

However, you can expect Freeman to keep his side on their toes to avoid a similar situation to last year's Week 2 debacle. The goal for this campaign is to go all the way and win a long-overdue national title.