Giants, Titans' Updated Top HC Targets After Marcus Freeman Returns to Notre Dame

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman removed himself from NFL consideration when he announced Monday he's returning to the Fighting Irish.

Freeman, who's 43-12 in four-plus seasons at the school, had been linked with the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans this month.

Coaching searches for both teams won't fully kick into gear until the NFL's regular season concludes. At least New York and Tennessee can cross Freeman's name off their lists.

These candidates could still plausibly be in the mix.

New York Giants

AP Photo/Scot Tucker

The Baltimore Ravens can win the AFC North if they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18. Should they reach the playoffs but suffer an early exit, it could strengthen the idea the John Harbaugh era has run its course.

Harbaugh has been in Baltimore for 18 seasons, the last seven coming as the team leaned on a quarterback (Lamar Jackson) with a distinctive style. This could be a situation where the 63-year-old is still a good coach, but a change of scenery is beneficial to all involved.

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury were both fired from their first head-coaching opportunities in the NFL.

They have since rebuilt their stock as high-level assistants. The fact their old employers continued to struggle hasn't hurt their cases, either. The New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals are both sitting at 3-13.

In the case of Saleh, he looks to be even more of a victim of the Jets' wider dysfunction. Granted, his past experience in the Big Apple may cool his interest in swapping MetLife Stadium locker rooms.

Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Gareth Patterson

Mike McCarthy wouldn't be an exciting hire, but the Titans badly need to find some stability as they could be staring at a second successive 14-loss season.

McCarthy has a .608 winning percentage in the regular season. Sure, he has some flaws that become more glaring in big games down the stretch, but simply competing in matchups of consequence would be an upgrade from Tennessee's present position.

Among the coordinator ranks, the Seattle Seahawks' Klint Kubiak and Los Angeles Chargers' Jesse Minter stand out.

During his one year leading the New Orleans Saints offense, Kubiak was dealt a tough hand because he had an aging Derek Carr and then a clearly overmatched Spencer Rattler under center. The results have been much better in Seattle as the Seahawks are averaging the eighth-most yards per game (350.8).

If the Titans aren't fixated on hiring an offensive-minded coach to pair with young quarterback Cam Ward, then Minter would be a great option. The Chargers allowed the fewest points in the league in 2024 and have a top-10 defense in yards and points in 2025.