2024 success was exactly what Notre Dame needed
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman accomplished a lot in his third year in South Bend. His team had the nation’s best 13-game win streak, made the playoff, and won three games once in it. That’s three more major post-season wins than the program has had in the last 30 years combined.
Despite a barrage of severe injuries to key contributors, 16 to be exact, the Irish ran the table from week three on and at one point had won 10 games in a row by double digits. It is clear that the blend of messaging and motivation coming from Marcus Freeman combined with a high-quality staff of assistants and highly motivated players worked, and worked well.
Now comes the next big task for Freeman. Maintaining momentum gained from 2024 with a new blend of players, coaches, and personalities.
Our guy.
Al Golden has been hired as our Defensive Coordinator. Read more → https://t.co/OXjiN9DHxW pic.twitter.com/4ibK1kmQRh
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 23, 2025
The bar at Notre Dame has been raised
Notre Dame made it to the championship game in 2024 and fell short. Whether it is fair or not, a new bar of expectations has been set. Freeman and Notre Dame proved they belong in the playoff and then some. Nobody in Notre Dame nation is open to regression after a fruitful season. This is where Freeman will be tested moving forward.
Can Marcus Freeman parlay the momentum and good vibes from 2024 into continued deep playoff success? It won’t be easy given some of the changes coming to the program. The Irish will be featuring a new QB yet to be named, a new DC in Chris Ash, and a new GM yet to be named who will be tasked with building out the future infrastructure of the program.
It’s very easy to say “We’ll be back next year”, but it’s hard to make that happen. Each season features new faces, new vibes, and new challenges that must be met and adapted to.
Marcus Freeman seems to have “arrived” as a college head coach, but he must prove staying power to maintain credibility. This won’t be easy, but with Freeman’s work ethic and communication skills, I wouldn’t bet on his rise being a one-and-done run.
For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.
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