New Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman Says He'll Never Take Role 'for Granted'

Marcus Freeman is prepared to make a seamless transition as the new head coach of the Notre Dame football team.

The 35-year-old discussed his new job at Monday's introductory press conference.

"I'm ready," he told reporters. "I'm ready to lead this program."

"The chance to lead the football program at the University of Notre Dame is an opportunity of a lifetime, and I'll never take that for granted," he added.

The coach also broke down his plans to lead the team to success:

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick opened the press conference by explaining his reasoning for selecting Freeman:

Freeman takes over for Brian Kelly, who surprisingly left to fill the head coaching vacancy at LSU. 

The team announced Freeman would be elevated to the lead role, a move that got a lot of support in the locker room:

The former Ohio State linebacker was in his first year as the Notre Dame defensive coordinator, helping the team go 11-1 while finishing No. 5 in the final College Football Playoff ranking. The defense ranked ninth in the country with just 18.3 points allowed per game and is among the top 10 nationally in sacks (40) and interceptions (15).

Prior to his time with the Fighting Irish, Freeman served as a defensive coordinator with Cincinnati and Purdue.