The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have one of the top coaches in Marcus Freeman. With more than half a decade of experience and shaping the program, Freeman has been able to bring the Fighting Irish to one of the premier programs on an annual basis. There are a bunch of lists ranking coaches, but let’s take a closer look at where he lands on this list from a premium outlet.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman ranks seventh among the top college football coaches in 2026
The Athletic’s Steward Mandel curated a list of the top 25 college football coaches. To no surprise, Marcus Freeman was high on here as he climbed from the 10th spot last season. He now occupies the seventh spot on the list and below is what he wrote about the Notre Dame coach:
“The selection committee deprived Freeman of a second CFP trip, but he’s still gone 24-4 with a national championship appearance over the past two seasons. Though Freeman is a defensive coach by training, the Irish have developed an explosive offense and a consistent assembly like of quarterbacks under his watch.”
The only coaches listed ahead of Freeman were:
- Curt Cignetti
- Kirby Smart
- Ryan Day
- Dan Lanning
- Kalen DeBoer
- Steve Sarkisian
Freeman has done an excellent job since taking over the program once Brian Kelly left for the LSU Tigers. As he enters his sixth season with the Fighting Irish, Freeman is 43-12, including being 5-2 in bowl games and a national championship game appearance. He is one of the premier young coaches in the sport, and has flirted with an NFL coaching job. However, he has stayed in South Bend and is returning for another season.
With a lot of key players being upperclassmen, it will be intriguing to see how Freeman looks heading into the 2026 college football season. Freeman has the chance to continue climbing these lists and cement himself in the top five if he can continue winning games.
Notre Dame basketball player signed by the Indianapolis Colts
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