As recently as late May, it was suggested that the New York Jets could pursue Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman if the Jets move on from current head coach Aaron Glenn.
While speaking with a small group of reporters on Tuesday, Freeman addressed his commitment to Notre Dame football.
Marcus Freeman “all-in” on leading Notre Dame football?
“I’m all-in,” Freeman insisted, per Pete Sampson of The Athletic. “I’ve been all-in. I don’t see myself being the head coach or coaching anywhere else.”
Roughly 24 hours after Mike Tomlin stepped down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers this past January, one report hinted that Freeman would have spoken with the Steelers about that opening. The Steelers eventually hired Mike McCarthy as Tomlin’s replacement. McCarthy was Pittsburgh starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ head coach when they were employed by the Green Bay Packers from 2006 through a portion of the 2018 season.
Notre Dame has gone 43-12 under Freeman, and he led the program to the national title game in January 2025 (the Fighting Irish fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes that night). According to Sampson, Freeman earns “nearly $12M annually” per the terms of his Notre Dame deal.
How Marcus Freeman “confirmed” that he wanted to stay at Notre Dame
“There were times when I wanted to listen to some other people, and I did,” Freeman said about potentially taking a different job. “It confirmed that this is the place I want to be.”
Glenn went 3-14 in his first season with the Jets, and some think that he will need to show that there is a “light at the end of the tunnel” regarding the state of the franchise to hold onto his job through the next NFL offseason. If such a light isn’t visible, it’s possible that the Jets could show Glenn the door before Week 18.
Nevertheless, it sounds like Freeman would turn Gang Green down.
“I plan on being here as long as I can,” Freeman added. “If I do a good enough job and I’m able and wanted to be the head coach here, I want to stay the head coach here.”
