'Never Say Never,' Marcus Freeman Talks Potentially Leaving ND for NFL After Giants Rumors

Despite passing on the chance to interview with NFL teams for head coaching vacancies this offseason, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman isn't ruling out the possibility of eventually going to the pros.

Appearing on Thursday's episode of Good Morning Football on NFL Network, Freeman said "never say never" when asked about coaching in the NFL one day.

Freeman did reiterate that coaching Notre Dame is "the best job in America," so it doesn't sound like he would be unhappy to stay in South Bend.

Freeman was mentioned as a potential candidate for the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans, among others, but he never really got that far into the process before opting to keep his current job.

The 40-year-old indicated on Dec. 29 that he was returning to Notre Dame in a post on X that said "run it back."

Asked about his future plans during a Jan. 14 press conference, Freeman again reiterated his commitment to Notre Dame while acknowledging that the NFL was "maybe" something he would have interest in down the road:

"Do I want to be? I mean, I don't really—I've never done it. I don't know enough about it. Maybe sometime in the future, if it's the right time and it's what I think is right for me, then maybe I'll pursue it. But I don't love wasting time thinking about things that aren't right in front of me. So, I don't know what I'll want in however much length of time from now. I don't know. But I know right now that I am as convicted and motivated to being the best head coach of the Notre Dame football program as I can be."

Amid all of the NFL speculation, Freeman and Notre Dame agreed to terms on a restructured contract that put him among the "top tier" of highest-paid college coaches.

Specifics of Freeman's deal are unclear, but he made $7.4 million during the 2025 season. There were eight FBS head coaches who earned at least $10 million last year.

Freeman became Notre Dame's head coach in December 2021 after Brian Kelly left to take the LSU job. He has a record of 43-11 and an appearance in the 2024 College Football Playoff in four full seasons with the program.