Adding to his 2024 coaching accolades, Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman has been named a finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, which honors contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field.
One previous Notre Dame coach has won the Bear Bryant Award: Lou Holtz in 1988.
Freeman, the winner of the 2024 Dodd Trophy and the 2024 George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, and selected as the honorary head coach for the 2024 AFCA Allstate Good Works Team, is also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. He in his third season at Notre Dame and has led the Irish to an 13-1 record in 2024, including a First-Round playoff win over Indiana and a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, with a No. 3 ranking in the Associated Press (AP) and Coaches Polls, and the No. 7 seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff.
The Irish, currently on a 12-game win streak, move on in the College Football Playoff to face No. 6 Penn State in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Jan. 9, 2025.
Freeman has led Notre Dame to six victories over opponents ranked in the AP Poll at the time of the game this season: No. 20 Texas A&M, No. 15 Louisville, No. 24 Navy, No. 18 Army, No. 9 Indiana and No. 2 Georgia. The CFP victory over Georgia was the 13th ranked win of the Freeman era at Notre Dame, more than any other Irish head coach in the first three years of his tenure, and the second-most of any FBS program over the last three years (Georgia, 14).
Through the season and the Quarterfinal round of the CFP, Notre Dame is first in pass efficiency defense (99.88), first in turnovers gained (31), first in defensive touchdowns (6), first in blocked kicks (6), second in scoring defense (13.6), second in blocked punts (3), third in turnover margin (1.29), third in fumbles recovered (13), fourth in scoring offense (37.7), fourth in interceptions (18), fifth in passing defense (167.4), fifth in red zone defense (0.686), fifth in third down defense (0.299), fifth in fourth down defense (0.333), seventh in passes had intercepted (6), eighth in total defense (295.4), eighth in fourth-down success rate (0.731), eighth in kickoff return defense (15.72) and 11th in rushing offense (217.5).