What Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman said about representing black coaches on MLK Day in Ohio State game

With Monday's matchup against Ohio State, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman is set to become the first African-American head coach to lead his team into a national championship game at the highest level of college football.

That he's doing this in Atlanta, the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on the day that honors the legendary civil rights figure isn't lost on the 39-year-old.

'He made change through his actions and his words, and the courage he has as a leader is something that I still am impacted by, as I study his life,' Freeman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution while pointing out that King was also 39 when he was assassinated in 1968. 'The impact that man made is just humbling to even think about.'

To be clear, Freeman isn't putting himself in the same breath as King: 'Anybody that talks about me on this day, on Dr. King's Day, let's point the attention at Dr. King, the person who really made change in our country.'

But while he doesn't see himself as a civil rights hero, it's easy envision Freeman as something of a trail blazer at a storied program like Notre Dame.

Born to a black father and Korean mother in Ohio, Freeman is among the scant few minority coaches in Division I football. In fact, just 14 percent of D1 head coaches identified as African American in 2023, per NCAA records. 

And in speaking with the AJC, Freeman couldn't help be appreciate the historical significance of Monday's game in Atlanta.

'I do not take for granted that I am a representation for many guys on this team that look like me,' Freeman said.

To Freeman, his success is the result of hard work and an opportunity that wasn't afforded to many other coaches with similar credentials. And he hopes by succeeding at Notre Dame, where the converted catholic has been warmly embraced by fans, he can inspire his players to do the same.

'I want our young people to be able to look at me and say, ''Hey, if I want to be the head coach at Notre Dame — dang it — if I work hard enough and do the right things, I've got a chance to do it because look at my head coach,''' said Freeman, who is just the second black coach in program history after Tyrone Willingham.

His players, such as bruising running back Jeremiyah Love, have taken notice.

'Coach Free sets an example for people that look like us and just lets them know that you can get to the big stage, you can make it far,' Love told the Journal-Constitution. 'I love to see it — black boys, black men having success.'

'So just like Coach Free said, at the end of the day, you got to be measured by what you do, not how you look,' former NFL player and current Notre Dame associate head coach Deland McCullough agreed. 'Fortunately for us, both of those things are in the spotlight in a positive way right now.'

Freeman was conscious of the dearth of opportunities for black coaches in college football when he was promoted from defensive coordinator in the wake of Brian Kelly's defection to LSU in 2021.

Writing in the Players' Tribune at the time, Freeman explained 'we need more minorities to get the opportunity to interview — and we need more minorities to get the opportunity to do a job that they can have success in.'

Since then, Freeman has gone 32-9 with the Fighting Irish, ingratiating himself to a bevy of new fans and becoming one of the highest-profile figures in the sport.

Many white fans were particularly happy to see him sidestep a question about the historical significance of taking Notre Dame deep into the playoffs as one of the sport's few African-American coaches.

At the time, Freeman told ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath he doesn't want his accomplishments to 'take away from the team.'

'It is an honor and I hope all coaches - minorities, black, Asian, white, it doesn't matter, great people - continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this,' he said on the field after the Orange Bowl win earlier this month.

Fans quickly took to X to both slam ESPN and hail Freeman for his response to the line of questioning, with one writing: 'What a disgusting network [ESPN] has become. Good on coach Freeman for shutting down your 'reporter.''

Another added: 'Why does ESPN try to make everything about race or gender? Kudos to Marcus Freeman for interrupting the pattern of the reporter.'

Meanwhile, Outkick's Clay Travis threw fuel on the fire by posting: 'Notre Dame just won its biggest game since 1988. How does @espn react? By focusing on one half of Marcus Freeman's race.

'Freeman absolutely crushes his answer and says he hopes all coaches regardless of race get great opportunities like he did.'

But those views don't represent all football fans, many of whom are excited to see a black coach finally get the chance to lead a team on the biggest stage.

'We can't ignore the social significance of Marcus Freeman Notre Dame Fighting Irish HC 1st black HC in a natty game leading a [predominantly white institution],' former Tennessee defensive back Tommy Sims wrote on X.

'The game will be played on MLK DAY IN THE ATL,' he continued. 'Poetic justice Karma divine intervention or pure luck Big crack in da ceiling No DEI or CRT #qualified.'