Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman is set to become the first Black head coach in an FBS college football national championship game as the Fighting Irish prepare to face Ohio State on Jan. 20 in Atlanta. The game will take place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in King’s hometown.
“As far as playing in the national championship game on MLK Day, to me the attention should be on MLK Day and what he did for our country and the progress he made for equal rights and progress for all people, the courage he had as an individual to stand for what he believes in,” Freeman said. “That was with his words and his actions.
“Martin Luther King Day is about celebrating that man and the impacts he’s made on our country.”
Freeman outdueled Penn State’s James Franklin in the Orange Bowl semifinal with a 27-24 come-from-behind victory. Because of the Freeman vs. Franklin matchup, a Black coach was guaranteed to coach in the national championship game against the Buckeyes.
“I sure hope that somebody gives the right person an opportunity,” Freeman said. “I was given an opportunity by our former athletic director Jack Swarbrick and Father John Jenkins. They made the decision to give me an opportunity. What I continue to hope is that people get opportunities based off their actions and not the color of their skin. That doesn’t point to just one group of people, but we want to make sure we continue to give the right people opportunities to lead our young people, and I believe in that.”
Freeman was promoted to Notre Dame’s head coach following the 2021 season after Brian Kelly left for LSU. The former Ohio State linebacker found immediate success, posting a 33-9 career record with bowl victories in three consecutive seasons. Thanks to the College Football Playoff format, the Fighting Irish became the first team in history to win multiple bowl games in the same season after Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl wins. The program had previously not won a major bowl game since the 1990s.
In addition, Freeman is the first Asian American to ever coach in a national championship game. His mother is Korean American. Freeman and Hawaii coach Timmy Chang became only the second and third Asian American coaches in college football history when they were hired after the 2021 season, joining former Hawaii coach Norm Chow.
There are only a handful of Asian American assistant coaches across college football, including UCLA offensive line coach Andy Kwon, Arizona State receivers coach Hines Ward and Davidson coach Saj Thakkar.
“If me being a Black and Asian head coach in the college football national championship gives others that opportunity, that’s awesome,” Freeman said. “I’ve always said this: I don’t want this to be about me. I want this to be about others and about others getting an opportunity and our team.”
Freeman has coached several Asian American players during his time at Notre Dame, including quarterback Tyler Buchner and safety Kyle Hamilton. Cornerback Charles Du, a junior from Beijing, China, went viral during the playoff because his jersey’s nameplate displayed his name in Chinese.
