Freeman secures long-term extension with Irish

Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman has agreed to a long-term extension that will make him among the highest-paid coaches in the country, a Notre Dame official confirmed to ESPN on Sunday.

It is believed to be a four-year extension that secures him for six more years in South Bend, according to a source. Freeman had two years remaining on his current deal.

"I am grateful for the support of the Board of Trustees, led by John Veihmeyer, President Fr. Bob Dowd, C.S.C., and Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua," Freeman said in a prepared statement. "The investment they continue to pour into our program is invaluable to our student-athletes and staff. This commitment goes well beyond myself, as they are dedicated to ensuring all aspects of our program are competitive within the upper echelon of college football."

Freeman, in his third season with Notre Dame, led the No. 7 Irish to an 11-1 record and a first-round College Football Playoff game against No. 10 Indiana at home on Friday. Freeman rallied the Irish to 10 straight wins following their stunning Sept. 7 home loss to Northern Illinois and holds a 30-9 record in his career with the program.

It's the third time Notre Dame has qualified for the CFP (2018, 2020), but the first under Freeman. The winner will face No. 2 Georgia on Jan. 1 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Notre Dame promoted Freeman from defensive coordinator to head coach in 2021 after Brian Kelly left to become LSU's head coach. In 2022, Freeman's first season as a head coach, the Irish finished 9-4 with a win against South Carolina in the Gator Bowl. Last year, Notre Dame finished 10-3 with a win against Oregon State in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl. He became the third Notre Dame head coach to post a 10-win season in each of his first two years with the program.

Prior to joining Notre Dame, Freeman spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati.