After Brian Kelly departed Notre Dame to become the head coach of LSU, Marcus Freeman took over the top job with the Fighting Irish. Less than four years later, Freeman remains in that position, but Kelly is looking for a new gig.
Kelly coached at Notre Dame from 2010-21, and hired Freeman as his defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2021. They went 11-1 in that season coaching together, before Kelly left to become the head coach at LSU prior to the team’s appearance in the Fiesta Bowl that season.
Freeman has built off the success Kelly achieved in South Bend, taking Notre Dame to a national championship appearance last season and a 5-2 record so far this season. Kelly, meanwhile, was not able to continue his run of success at LSU. Though Kelly left in part because he wanted to have the resources to compete for a national championship, he instead was fired less than four full seasons into his tenure in the Death Valley.
“You never want to see anybody lose a job,” Freeman told reporters on Monday. “That person, the coaches, the families, the people affected, the players, especially somebody you know. … Coach Kelly gave me an opportunity to come here and I’m always rooting for him.”
“Coach Kelly gave me an opportunity to come here and I’m always rooting for him. But it’s also the profession we’ve chosen. We’ve chosen this profession and we know that can be a result of choosing this profession.” – Marcus Freeman on Brian Kelly pic.twitter.com/cOIxRnCBN5
— Matt Freeman (@mattfreeman05_) October 27, 2025
Kelly is just the latest coach to get fired in the middle of this season, joining James Franklin, DeShaun Foster, Billy Napier, Sam Pittman, Mike Gundy, Trent Dilfer, Brent Pry, Trent Bray, Jay Norvell and Kenni Burns. For Freeman, it’s a reminder of the gratitude he has to still be in his position.
“It’s also the profession we’ve chosen,” Freeman said. “We’ve chosen this profession and we know that can be a result of choosing this profession. You asked about the state of college football, it is what it is. Like it or not like it, it is what it is. You can’t worry about that, you gotta worry about giving your all to this team and putting this program in a position to have success. I’ve said this previously, but it’s a reminder to be grateful for what you have, because if you’re not grateful for what you have, you’ll find a way to lose it. I’m not talking about a coach, I’m talking about in life.”
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