hero-image

Where did Marcus Freeman play College football? Notre Dame HC's collegiate career explored

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman is slowly making a name for himself in the world of college football. The 37-year-old began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State but rose to fame as the head coach of the Fighting Irish.

Freeman initially joined Notre Dame as defensive coordinator after stints with Kent State, Purdue and Cincinnati. But after Brian Kelly left for LSU, he was named as his successor and became the 32nd head coach of the program.

But Marcus Freeman is not only known for his coaching. He also had an extensive career as a professional football as linebacker. So where did Marcus Freeman play college football?

The 37-year-old graduated high school from Wayne High School, after which he committed to playing for Ohio State. Freeman spent his whole college football career as a part of the Buckeyes roster from 2004 to 2008.

He went on to redshirt his second season with the team in 2005. During his final year of college football in 2008, he was named as the starting linebacker for all the games.

Notre Dame v Duke
Notre Dame v Duke

During that season, Freeman put up a decent display of his defensive abilities. He went on to record 84 total tackles, out of which 39 were solo efforts along with one fumble recovery. This led to him being named as a part of the Academic All Big-Ten.

During his stint with Ohio State, Marcus Freeman went on to play a total of 51 games. He was named as a starter in 37 of them and ended his college career recording 264 total tackles, out of which 140 were solo, two fumble recoveries and six interceptions.

Kentucky v Notre Dame
Kentucky v Notre Dame

He was then drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round in 2009. But his NFL career lasted for a year, where he was only a member of the practice squad for the Bears, the Buffalo Bills, and the Houston Texans. He retired in 2010 because of heart problems.


Marcus Freeman's stats as Notre Dame head coach

Marcus Freeman began his head coaching journey with the Fighting Irish in 2021 when he led the team to a Fiesta Bowl loss at the hands of Oklahoma State. In his first full season as coach in 2022, he put up a decent 9-4 overall record and also won the Gator Bowl by defeating South Carolina 45-38.

Notre Dame Duke Football
Notre Dame Duke Football

This season has been pretty decent for Notre Dame under Freeman. They have won five of the seven games they've played so far, recording losses only at the hands of Ohio State and Louisville. Fans will now be waiting in anticipation to see how the rest of the season unfolds.

You may also like