The crossover between Notre Dame alumni and Bears fans could turn Marcus Freeman into the wild card who fills an NFL coaching emptiness.
The Bears reportedly wish to interview Freeman, who will coach Notre Dame against Ohio State on Jan. 20 within the College Football Playoff national championship game.
NFL Network said it’s unlikely that Freeman would entertain NFL overtures while preparing for that championship game. The report described how the Bears have “done extensive research for months on Marcus Freeman.”
Freeman, 39, is 33-9 as Notre Dame’s head coach since taking up for Brian Kelly during bowl season in 2021.
He began his third full season with a loss to Northern Illinois and will end it with a fifteenth straight win, a national title and a job of his own in Illinois.
Notre Dame claims to have greater than 20,000 alumni living within the greater Chicago area. Big Ten headquarters is positioned in Chicago and Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren is a former Big Ten commissioner who undoubtedly has ties at Notre Dame despite its ACC affiliation.
Freeman was a fifth-round draft pick as a linebacker by the Bears in 2009. He was waived before playing in a game and bounced around with the Bills and Texans before retiring and stepping into coaching.
The Bears lost one in every of their candidates Sunday when Mike Vrabel was hired to fill the Patriots’ emptiness. The job is taken into account desirable because 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams is in place as a franchise quarterback.
The Bears have confirmed interviews with seven candidates and put in additional requests. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are each in the combo, as are former Super Bowl head coaches Pete Carroll and Ron Rivera (a former Bear).
Notre Dame is a 9.5-point underdog to Ohio State.
