Marcus Freeman has led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to this season’s College Football Playoffs National Championship Game. On Monday, the head coach will be on the sidelines of Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, to potentially beat the Ohio State Buckeyes for a national title.
The way Freeman has elevated the program after Brian Kelly went to LSU in 2021 has drawn praise from every corner of the football world. One analyst has even compared him to a Super Bowl-winning coach.
NFL Analyst Compares Marcus Freeman to Sean McVay
The lead-up to the national championship game hasn’t been short of speculation, especially for Freeman. Many have suggested that he’s a strong fit for the Chicago Bears’ vacancy at head coach. The position has been open since Matt Eberflus was fired following a 4-8 start to the season; Thomas Brown was named the interim head coach.
While discussing the possibility of Freeman leaving Notre Dame for the NFL gig, Colin Cowherd compared him to Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, who is fresh off leading the team to the NFL Divisional Round before losing 28-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Los Angeles finished the season ranked 12th in Offense+ and 24th in Defense+.
“If you’ve ever been around Sean McVay or seen him at the podium, he’s different,” Cowherd said on “The Herd.” “Marcus Freeman has a chance to be the youngest coach to win a national championship. I look at him and think, if you meet him, you see his energy.”
“I don’t know if Marcus Freeman even has to beat Ohio State. But one of the things that’s pretty clear, having watched McVay here, there are coaches that are simply different. And I said this a couple of weeks ago when I watched Marcus Freeman on television. I watch him at the podium. I watch him on the sidelines. And I watch the staff he built at Notre Dame, which is arguably the best staff in college football.”
.@ColinCowherd on Marcus Freeman to Chicago Bears rumors:
"He's the closest thing I've seen to Sean McVay." pic.twitter.com/n13Hrn59UR
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 17, 2025
After roaming around the NFL in different assistant coach positions, McVay became the youngest head coach in league history when the Rams hired him in 2017. He’s had just one losing season in eight years and is among the brightest minds in football.
Moreover, with Matthew Stafford as his quarterback, McVay won the Super Bowl in 2021. Cowherd sees something similar in Freeman.
Which of Marcus Freeman’s Qualities Left Colin Cowherd Impressed?
Cowherd made his point by saying Freeman has already proved himself as a strong coach, attributing it to quarterback Riley Leonard’s development.
“Now, I’m not saying Marcus Freeman’s a quarterback expert, but Riley Leonard’s a lot better at Notre Dame than he was at Duke,” Cowherd said. “And this team should not be playing for a national championship. And my point is, some people are simply different. He also does it the right way. He’s slow, patient.”
However, there’s another side to the story. Just like Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes has denied NFL rumors, Freeman has also said he won’t be making the jump. Fans will keep tabs on whether he changes his mind after his clash with Ohio State.
