Notre Dame Football

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. 

Head coach Brian Kelly's departure for LSU will not have an impact on where Notre Dame places in the final College Football Playoff rankings.

ESPN's Heather Dinich reported Saturday that she was told by CFP chair Gary Barta that Kelly leaving will be a "nonfactor" in the committee's evaluation of ND.

Dinich added that Barta said the fact that defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman has been elevated to head coach and is retaining the current coaching staff lends to continuity and makes any concerns regarding turnover "moot."

During a previous appearance on ESPN (h/t AL.com's Mike Rodak), Barta had said the absence of a coach or key player would be taken under consideration by the committee.

Kelly appeared on ESPN's College GameDay (h/t Brody Miller of The Athletic) on Saturday and expressed his belief that his departure should not impact the Irish's CFP chances, saying: "I haven't seen coaches play the game before. Players play the game."

Despite Notre Dame owning an 11-1 record and having a legitimate shot to reach the CFP this season, Kelly left before the 2021 season was over in order to chase a national championship at LSU in the coming years.

That left Notre Dame in a tough spot, but it made the decision to stay in-house by promoting Freeman to head coach after just one season as defensive coordinator.

Freeman enjoyed success as the DC at Cincinnati in the four years prior, however, and entering Saturday's slate of games, he had the Irish ranked 11th in the nation with just 18.2 points allowed per game.

Notre Dame entered Saturday needing some help in the form of two or more of Michigan, Alabama, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State losing in their conference title games.

Oklahoma State fell to Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game, moving the Irish closer to a CFP berth with Michigan, Bama and Cincy yet to play.

The Irish are ranked No. 6 in the CFP rankings, and while not having the ability to play in a conference championship game could be a disadvantage, it will be hard to keep them out of the CFP if any of the aforementioned teams lose.

Notre Dame has reached the playoff in two of the past three seasons, and if it doesn't make it three out of four, Kelly's departure won't be the reason, based on Barta's comments.

New LSU head football coach Brian Kelly doesn't believe his Notre Dame departure should impact the Fighting Irish's chances of making the College Football Playoff.

According to Brody Miller of The Athletic, Kelly was asked about that possibility on ESPN's College GameDay and replied: "I haven't seen coaches play the game before. Players play the game."

During a recent appearance on ESPN (h/t AL.com's Mike Rodak), CFP chair Gary Barta noted that a team missing a key player or coach is something the committee takes into account when determining the final CFP rankings.

Notre Dame entered play Saturday as the No. 6 team in the CFP rankings, but losses by two of Michigan, Alabama, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State in their conference title games could elevate the one-loss Irish into the top four.

With Kelly gone, Notre Dame named defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman its new head coach this week.

While Freeman has only been with Notre Dame for this season after spending the previous four years as the DC at Cincinnati, making him the new head coach means there will at least be some continuity for the remainder of the campaign.

Freeman will have some big shoes to fill in South Bend, however, as the Irish enjoyed one of the most successful runs in school history under Kelly.

In his 12 seasons at Notre Dame, Kelly went 113-40, making him the winningest coach in program history. The Irish also reached the BCS National Championship Game once and the College Football Playoff twice under Kelly.

SEC teams have largely dominated the CFP, and while Kelly was able to get Notre Dame into it on a couple of occasions, he may have a better chance of winning it all at LSU.

Still, the timing of his departure was somewhat surprising since the Irish still have a chance to compete for a national title this season.

Among the four teams that could potentially drop below Notre Dame by the time play is over on Saturday, Alabama is an underdog against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.

If Alabama loses, the Irish would only need one upset to go in their favor in order to be a playoff team, which is something Kelly was likely aware of before he left.

The Irish are 11-1 this season with their only loss coming back in October to a current playoff team in Cincinnati.

Notre Dame hasn't played the most difficult schedule, but it did beat a Wisconsin team in September that was ranked 18th at the time, and it has been playing its best football over the past month, winning each of its past four games by at least 25 points.

Given Notre Dame's recent play, it will be difficult for the CFP committee to keep the Fighting Irish out if two teams ahead of them lose, even with Kelly now at LSU.

The University of Notre Dame formally announced the promotion of defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to head coach on Friday following Brian Kelly's departure for LSU.

"It is an honor to be named the head coach of Notre Dame Football," Freeman said. "I am eternally grateful to both [school president] Father John Jenkins and [athletic director] Jack Swarbrick for giving me the opportunity to lead the exceptional men who make this program what it is. Notre Dame is a very special place and I look forward to pursuing a national championship with the most outstanding student-athletes, coaches and staff in college football."

Freeman, a former standout linebacker at Ohio State, has emerged as one of the country's top defensive minds since his NFL career ended after one season because of a heart condition in 2010.

The 35-year-old Ohio native spent time as a graduate assistant with the Buckeyes before working as a defensive assistant at Kent State and Purdue. He then spent four years as the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati before accepting the same role at Notre Dame ahead of the 2021 season.

He's guided the Fighting Irish defense to a strong season during his first year in South Bend. The unit ranks tied for 11th in scoring defense (18.3 points allowed per game) and gave up just 23 points over the final four games of the regular season.

"Marcus Freeman has not only proven himself a superb football coach, he has shown–both in his time at Notre Dame and in my conversations with him this week–that he is a person of highest integrity who cares deeply about our student-athletes and is committed to their success in the classroom as well as on the field," Jenkins said. "I am excited to welcome him as our new head football coach, and to have his wife, Joanna, and their six beautiful children in the Notre Dame family."

Freeman will take over the program immediately as Kelly opted to accept a 10-year, $95 million contract from LSU despite the Irish still having an outside shot at the College Football Playoff.

Notre Dame is sixth in the CFP rankings heading into championship weekend. It doesn't have a title game to play, but a flurry of upsets elsewhere around the country could create a path to the top four.

Even if the Irish fall short of the playoff, they'll play in a high-profile bowl game and give Freeman a chance to continue building on the foundation set during the Kelly era, which includes a five-year streak of 10-plus wins.

"Marcus' ability to connect with people, his fit at Notre Dame and the way he coaches young men set him apart as we went through our search process," Swarbrick said. "I can't wait to see how the culture created by these remarkable student-athletes continues to grow under the tutelage of Marcus and his staff."

Off the field, Freeman will look to solidify a highly promising 2022 recruiting class that currently ranks fifth in the nation, according to 247Sports.

Working quickly to elevate Freeman to head coach should provide Notre Dame with some valuable continuity in the regard, while also making sure one of the nation's most promising young coaches remains in South Bend.

Notre Dame could get its star safety back if it makes the College Football Playoff.

Pete Sampson of The Athletic reported Kyle Hamilton is "trending toward playing for the Irish again" if they do make the four-team field. He has not played since he suffered a knee injury during an Oct. 23 victory over the USC Trojans.

"Six weeks would take him through the end of the regular season," former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly told reporters on Nov. 15 when estimating a timeframe. "And then we have to see where we are with College Football Playoffs, bowl games, things like that."

This has been quite the week for the Fighting Irish. Kelly left for LSU, and Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported the program is expected to name defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman as its new head coach.

Hamilton's potential return could be a selling point for Notre Dame when the CFP committee considers its qualifications. It is a much better defensive team when he is on the field.

Still, the Fighting Irish need some help at No. 6 in the current rankings with no games remaining.

They should be rooting for some combination of Georgia defeating Alabama, Houston beating Cincinnati, Baylor handling Oklahoma State and Iowa upsetting Michigan. That should put them back into the picture even without any games remaining.

They would also have to overcome the fact that they have zero victories over teams ranked in the current CFP Top 25. That could hurt them if the committee reconsiders where they stand in relation to some two-loss teams such as Iowa if it beats the Wolverines, Baylor if it defeats the Cowboys or even Ohio State.

If everything broke right for Notre Dame, Hamilton would give it a much better chance in the playoff.

He checks in at No. 10 on the latest 2022 NFL draft big board from B/R's Scouting Department.              

Notre Dame has reportedly promoted defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to head coach in place of Brian Kelly, who left the Fighting Irish for LSU this week.

Former Notre Dame walk-on running back Mick Assaf was the first to report the news, which was also stated by John Brice of Footballscoop, Matt Zenitz of On3 and Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic.

In addition, the Fighting Irish will retain offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who had an opportunity to leave Notre Dame and join Kelly at LSU, per Ross Dellenger of The Athletic:

Kelly opted to leave the Fighting Irish on Nov. 30 after wrapping up an 11-1 regular season despite a College Football Playoff appearance still being on the table. He signed a 10-year, $95 million contract with LSU to take over for Ed Orgeron.

The 60-year-old Massachusetts native enjoyed sustained success across 12 years at Notre Dame. He compiled a 113-40 overall record (though the NCAA vacated 21 wins from 2012 and 2013 due to violations), including seven seasons with double-digit wins. The program posted a more mundane 5-5 mark in bowl games, though.

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said he was "not surprised" by Kelly's decision to leave and noted the program immediately received "a lot of outreach" about the open position.

"It's about the right candidate," Swarbrick told reporters at the time. "When we find the person we think is the right one to lead this program and have the right conversations with him, that's all that matters. If that happens tomorrow, or weeks from now, that's fine."

Swarbrick added the Fighting Irish were "perfectly prepared to move forward," based on the strong foundation put in place during the Kelly era.

Freeman is a former Ohio State linebacker who played one NFL season before retiring in 2010 because of a heart condition.

He's since emerged as one of the top defensive minds in the country during stints as an assistant with OSU, Kent State, Purdue, Cincinnati and Notre Dame. He spent the 2021 season as the Irish's defensive coordinator under Kelly.

Freeman's elevation to the top of the staff will mark his first head coaching opportunity and should give the program some valuable continuity after five straight seasons with at least 10 wins.

Now his focus will shift toward trying to help the Irish chase down their first national championship since 1988.

Former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly spoke with the team's players for three minutes and 42 seconds Tuesday morning in his final meeting before leaving for LSU.

Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson of The Athletic obtained an audio recording of the goodbye message, which centered on what Kelly described as a "magical" time building the Fighting Irish program since 2010:

Good morning guys. Thanks for getting up here in short order, short notice. As you know, I sent out a text last night trying to give you as much notice as possible given the circumstances that we all know that happened relative to social media and information getting out. And look, I know we've been through this together—I recruited virtually everybody in this room—and I want to be able to tell you, face to face, why we're at where we're at. And that is, very simply, that the past 12 years have been the most incredible 12 years of my life, for me and my family, being here at Notre Dame. Magical in what we've been able to build with the most incredible student-athletes, the ones that I'm looking at right now.

Kelly sent a group message to Notre Dame players Monday night after rumors began to circulate that he'd agreed to become the new head coach at LSU, replacing Ed Orgeron.

On Tuesday morning, shortly after Kelly's meeting with the Fighting Irish, the Tigers formally announced his hiring on a 10-year, $95 million contract.

The timing was a bit odd since Notre Dame (11-1) is sixth in the College Football Playoff rankings. Depending on the results elsewhere around the country during conference championship week (the Irish's regular season is over), it's possible the team will get a chance to play for the national title.

CFP chairman Gary Barta confirmed the coaching change could become part of the discussion if Notre Dame is involved in the final conversation about the Top Four:

Kelly, who won't be involved in the Irish's postseason coaching staff, said athletic director Jack Swarbrick will make sure the team is in good hands, according to The Athletic.

"I think you're one of the four best teams in the country," he said. "Jack is going to get somebody that will continue to lead this program in incredible fashion. I don't know what it holds for us moving forward, but I hope to heck it means that you're playing for the national championship, because you absolutely deserve it."

Kelly didn't meet with any assistant coaches who were present for the meeting and didn't take questions from anybody in attendance. He said he "saw that opportunity in a very short window" to take the LSU job and felt it was best for his family.

He closed the meeting by saying:

So from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every one of you for giving me this opportunity to speak to you directly, because you don't get that chance very often, and to thank you for allowing me to pursue what I love to do, and that is develop 18- to 21-year-olds. And you will continue to achieve at the highest level and have great success no matter what moves forward for you. So again, thank you, I love each and every one of you, and for me, more than anything else, it's a sad day, but one where I know that each one of you are gonna do great things and you've got more to accomplish. So I wish everybody here the very best, and thank you for the opportunity that you've given me and my family. Thank you guys, appreciate it.

Kelly, who previously served as head coach at Central Michigan and Cincinnati, posted a 113-40 record across 12 years leading the Notre Dame program (although 21 wins from the 2012 and '13 seasons were later vacated by the NCAA because of sanctions related to academic misconduct). The Fighting Irish have won at least 10 games in each of the past five seasons.

Swarbrick said Tuesday he was "not surprised" by Kelly's decision to leave for LSU and didn't provide a timetable for naming a replacement. He added it's possible the team finishes the season without a formal interim coach before hiring a new full-time coach in the offseason.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame will await its fate as it could still earn a CFP bid if at least two teams from the group of No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Cincinnati and No. 5 Oklahoma State lose in their conference title games Saturday.

Brian Kelly will be the second-highest paid coach in college football thanks to the terms of his contract with LSU. 

Per the term sheet obtained by USA Today's Steve Berkowitz, Kelly's deal with the Tigers will pay him just over $100 million over 10 years. 

Kelly's base salary is only $400,000, but he will also receive "supplemental compensation that begins at an annual rate of $8.6 million" and a $500,000 longevity payment that will be paid out every year on July 1 that he remains on the job. 

Berkowitz provided additional details about Kelly's supplemental compensation and additional incentives he can earn: 

Kelly’s supplemental pay has a series of scheduled increases—to $8.8 million in 2023, $9 million in 2025, $9.2 million in 2027, $9.4 million in 2029 and $9.6 million in 2031. But the deal has provisions that will allow him to increase those payments. It also offers the possibility of $1.325 million in annual bonuses, including $500,000 each time LSU is 'bowl eligible.' This is likely the largest bonus payment for becoming eligible for a bowl game that does not involve a contract extension.

Kelly's $9.5 million "basic total" for the 2022 season is tied with Michigan State's Mel Tucker for the second-highest salary among all college football coaches. 

Tucker, who had been rumored to be a candidate for the LSU job, signed a 10-year, $95 million extension with the Spartans on Nov. 24. His 2022 salary breaks down to $5.9 million in base salary, $3.1 million in media appearances, $100,000 from school-negotiated apparel and a $400,000 annual retention bonus, per Kirkland Crawford and Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press. 

Notre Dame signed Kelly to a contract extension through the 2024 season in September. Full terms of his deal with the Fighting Irish weren't publicly disclosed since the university is a private institution, but USA Today's survey of coaching salaries released in October estimated the 60-year-old was earning $2.67 million annually in base salary. 

According to Berkowitz, Alabama head coach Nick Saban's $9.9 million salary in 2022 is projected to be the highest among all college coaches. 

Kelly is coming to LSU after Ed Orgeron's six-year tenure with the program.

Orgeron led the Tigers to a 51-20 overall record, including a 15-0 mark and a College Football Playoff championship in 2019. 

Kelly just finished his 12th season at Notre Dame after taking over the program in December 2009. His official record with the Fighting Irish is 92-39 after the NCAA forced them to vacate 21 wins from the 2012-13 seasons due to academic misconduct. 

Notre Dame hasn't lost more than two games in a season since 2017. It went 12-0 during the 2019 regular season before losing to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal.    

Notre Dame's College Football Playoff hopes this season may have gone out the door with Brian Kelly.

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta, who's also the chair of the CFP selection committee, indicated during Tuesday's rankings announcement that Kelly's departure for LSU could be a consideration when determining the Fighting Irish's final position:

It's not uncommon for a coach to move onto a new job before his team competes in a bowl game. Kelly did it when he accepted Notre Dame's offer in December 2009, putting Jeff Quinn in charge to guide Cincinnati to a 51-24 defeat to Florida in the Sugar Bowl.

But Kelly's decision is almost without precedent because Notre Dame is still in the playoff picture.

The Fighting Irish remained sixth in the updated rankings:

At the moment, they're on the outside looking in, but some combination of losses by Alabama, Michigan, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State would presumably catapult them into the top four. Given the way this year has unfolded, that sequence of events isn't out of the question.

Of course, the above logic applied before Barta's comments. Now, it looks like Notre Dame may not have a straightforward path—or any path at all—into the playoff.

Granted, the selection committee may be wary of the optics behind snubbing the Fighting Irish if the conference championship games swing their way.

But Barta presumably wouldn't have said what he did if the committee wasn't prepared to at least seriously weigh Notre Dame's coaching situation as part of its overall resume.

By taking the LSU job when he did, Kelly likely ensured he's public enemy No. 1 in South Bend, Indiana, for some time. If he ultimately torpedoed the Irish's title chances in the process, it's likely he'd never be forgiven by Notre Dame fans.

Brian Kelly must have been in a hurry to start his tenure at LSU.

Pete Sampson of The Athletic reported the former Notre Dame head football coach addressed the Fighting Irish team for less than two minutes on Tuesday before he "turned around and walked out" without taking questions.

Kelly addressed the Notre Dame players because LSU announced it hired him as its next head coach.

On Monday night, Sampson shared a message Kelly sent to the Fighting Irish players apologizing that he didn't tell them he was going to the Tigers in person and calling for a 7 a.m. meeting so he could further explain:

Apparently the coach, who is set to make $95 million plus incentives during his 10-year deal, was able to explain his decision in less than two minutes.

The school hasn't yet named an interim coach for its bowl game.