​Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has recently been placed on the preseason Dodd Award watch list, underscoring the high regard for his leadership and the program’s trajectory. Freeman is widely viewed as one of the top coaches in college football, a perspective echoed by ESPN’s latest rankings of the sport’s elite mentors. In ESPN’s assessment, only three coaches were positioned ahead of Freeman: Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, and Ohio State’s Ryan Day. Given that those three have each captured at least one national championship, Freeman’s placement is hard to dispute, though some anticipate a shift as the season unfolds in the fall.
Freeman’s squad is widely considered to be built for a deep run in the College Football Playoff, a prospect that could lead to a substantial leap in Freeman’s ranking once the season concludes. ESPN’s reasoning for listing him among the top tier is straightforward: his teams win. Freeman has secured more bowl victories than any other FBS head coach since 2022, totaling five, and he has helped the Hoosiers join an impressive club with a 10-game winning streak spanning each of the last two seasons. These achievements provide a strong case for why Freeman is regarded as a leading figure among college football coaches.
Analysts have contrasted Freeman’s standing with peers at the upper end of the list. Max Olson noted that the margin separating Freeman from Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Texas’s Steve Sarkisian is incredibly narrow, pointing out that both of those coaches have earned advantages due to their teams navigating conference changes while continuing to win. Regardless of whether Freeman is ranked sixth or higher by Olson, the consensus remains clear: he is among the elite coaches in college football.
The broader takeaway is that Freeman’s credentials place him firmly in the conversation about the sport’s best mentors. His track record of success, the consistency shown by his programs, and the potential for even greater achievements in the upcoming season all reinforce Freeman’s status as a premier figure in college football coaching.
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