Radio BOSS Conversations: Marcus Freeman

I’m humbled and honored to be a head coach at Notre Dame and let alone the second Black head coach here. I remind myself that I am a representation for a lot of our players. I hope that our players can look at me and say ‘you know what, I can do anything I want.'”

Notre Dame is the most storied program in the history of college football. Names like Knute Rockne and George “The Gipper” Gipp, to name a few, permeate the annals of the program. The university began playing football in 1887 and hired its first Black head football coach Tyrone Willingham in 2002. Willingham’s tenure lasted just three seasons in South Bend, Ind. Almost 20 years later, Notre Dame hired its second Black head football coach Marcus Freeman, who in 2021 was hired as the Fighting Irish’s defensive coordinator. He had no prior head coaching experience. Freeman talked with the Radio BOSS about what it means to be the head coach at Notre Dame and the second Black head coach, getting off to the slow start to the season including the loss to Marshall, beating then No. 4 Clemson, and why it’s important for him to succeed as the head coach at Notre Dame. Download or listen.

Tagged as: Donal Ware, conversation, interview, Radio BOSS Conversations, Marshall, Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame, Fighting Irish, second Black head coach, Tyrone Willingham, Clemson, viral video, Navy, Knute Rockne, The Gipper, George Gipp.