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4 hours ago
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are always one of the top teams in College Football year in and year out. It was no exception this season, but it almost looked like their season was derailed early on when they suffered a brutal 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois. However, the Fighting Irish bounced back and were able to take a 13-game winning streak into the National Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. While they came up short, it was still an incredible season and one of the best in the 21st century in South Bend.
A main reason for Notre Dame’s success was head coach Marcus Freeman, who was able to make a National Championship appearance in only his third year as the Irish’s head coach after Brian Kelly left to take the LSU job in 2021. Still not even 40 years old, Freeman has already established himself as one of the top coaches in the sport, which reportedly earned him interest from the Chicago Bears for their then-vacant head coaching position. Because of all that, Freeman recently received an honor that hasn’t been seen in the program in several decades.
Freeman was recently announced as the 2024 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year due to his efforts this season. Named after legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, who won six national championships with the Crimson Tide, the award hadn’t been won by a Notre Dame coach since 1988 when Lou Holtz received the honor.
While a fantastic honor for his efforts this season, Freeman will now shift his focus to preparing his roster and staff for their eventual 2025 Week 1 contest against the Miami Hurricanes. After losing defensive coordinator Al Golden earlier today to the Cincinnati Bengals and the countless key players that will enter the NFL Draft, Freeman has his work cut out for him if he wants to continue seeing success in South Bend.
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