SOUTH BEND, IN — Not only has Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman had a season to remember, but an incredible week after he signed a six-year, $6.69 million contract extension with the university and led the Fighting Irish to a dominating 27-17 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff (CFP) Friday night.
In college football, where thrills anointment and sobering losses are common, fighting for four quarters, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has shepherded his team through a territory of musing and resilience. Looking back over the past months, Freeman revealed some of the lessons learned individually and as a team.
“I’ve learned so many lessons in life, but as a head coach of this football program, time heals all,” Freeman told Nitecast Media. He also praised the need to persevere through the ups and downs inherent in a football season. “I’m pumped, man, I’m pumped, bro. And I told them that after the loss at Northern Illinois.“
“I’ve been here before.’ They might be; not everyone in that room has, but I’ve been here. And I know the only option is to go back to work and evaluate yourself.“
According to Freeman, the challenge is overcome via reflection and self-analysis. “In those hard moments, you have to look yourself in the mirror and say, What does it take to get your program where it needs to be,” he added.
Along the way, this approach transcended the individual and helped forge a program-wide commitment to improving daily.
Though the season was marked by its fair share of chaos and its share of peaks and valleys, their resolve was never broken. “We had a couple training camps, but now we got an opportunity to have a special program—but it’s a process, you gotta build it.” For the players, despite an early rollercoaster season, it was all about preparation and hard work. “They are still only preparing. And they decided to put the work in and not feel sorry for themselves, and they also believe in themselves.”
Freeman spoke highly of his roster’s collective development, acknowledging that talented individuals must coalesce into a single unit. “This is a really good team that has been a really good team. This is one of the more talented groups we’ve had since I’ve been here, but we’ve become a good team, right? Roster talent is one thing. We’ve formed a nice inside team, and it’s all because we grind.“
Key to their transformation was learning how to play a game based on the turnover margin — a statistic that serves as the deciding factor in many games.
“I was selfishly thinking about the turnover margin. We are unblemished this season. We’ve lost the turnover margin in one game this season. And that was super annoying,” Freeman said.
Even under the best of times, the team never backed down from rooting against adversity. “They’re tough, they fight, they’re never out of the fight. And that’s what you love about it: they compete until the clock hits zero.“
With the regular season in the books, those questions Marcus Freeman pondered reveal a theme of self-reflection, growth, and persistence. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program is a model for the virtue of perseverance and the fundamental will to compete.
On Wednesday, January 1, at 8:45 PM ET/ 5:45 PM PT, Notre Dame will face the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on ESPN.
