"Passion and energy you need to have as a leader": Marcus Freeman opens up on his commitment for the game at Maxwell Awards Gala
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was awarded the 2024 George Munger Award on Friday. He was one of the prominent individuals from the college football world to catch the spotlight at the Maxwell Awards Gala. After leading the program to the national championship game, Freeman became a huge sensation among fans. While it may look like an overnight achievement, it was the result of the passion and dedication he has shown towards building the program.
One of the biggest reasons behind his motivation came from his playing days when he was a linebacker at Ohio State from 2004 to 2008 and transitioned to NFL where he played for three different teams. Speaking to the media on Friday, Freeman opened up on the impact of his playing days.
“I think the passion and energy that you have to have as a leader is important. It's contagious,” Freeman said.
“And I remember being a player and my coaches that probably had the most energy, the most connection with you. You got the most out of the end. So I want to be that guy and be an example, but at the end of the day, i got to push myself out of comfort zone. And those are things that I remember the greatest coaches when I was a football player. They got you to really get out of your comfort zone.”
Marcus Freeman opens up on his ability to win players' trust
Last season was crucial for Marcus Freeman's coaching career. Notre Dame was catching strays for being an independent program and getting its way out easily. However, he proved that the team's journey was more than just a strength of schedule and coursed through the playoffs going undefeated.
Although the Fighting Irish lost to Ohio State in the national championship matchup, he helped the team wrap up its season with a 14-2 record. Freeman also discussed how he instilled self-confidence and won the trust of his players,
“No. 1, spending time with your players," Freeman said on Friday, via Maxwell Football. "I always say that you know, love is a choice, but trust is earned, and we have to earn the trust of each other, and it comes through being intentional about our times we spend together.
"This talks. It comes about being a man of character, and it also comes from making sure that, as a coach, you're competent. It can help young people reach the goal that they have spent a lot of time being intentional about building trust.”
Freeman will enter the 2025 season with big hopes and nothing less than a national championship title would be on the cards. Rightly so as he has started with his recruiting trail and has stacked up the roster with athletes from the transfer portal.