When head coaches Marcus Freeman and James Franklin square off in the College Football Playoff national semifinals at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida), the winner of that game will become the first Black coach in Division I college football history to compete in a national championship bowl game.
No Black coach had ever even coached a game in the College Football Playoffs until two weeks ago.
If either can finish the deal in The College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, then he will become the ultimate ceiling crasher.
Marcus Freeman and James Franklin Make History As Black Head Coaches
It’s almost inconceivable that a Black coach has never been in this position, especially considering how Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders has become the most popular person in college football and one on a short list of Black head coaches at Power Five schools throughout history.
First Franklin and then Freeman were both given the opportunity to rebuild powerhouse programs, and credit both Penn State and Notre Dame for having the foresight to understand what kind of head coach would keep them in the running for national championships in this new era of college athletics as an open book business.
Black coaches had never been awarded the reins at such historic and well-endowed football factories. In the cases of Penn State and Notre Dame, both were in need of a boost. A strong, inclusive leader with a younger vision for the future.
Marcus Freeman Takes Notre Dame To CFP Semifinals In Fourth Season As Head Coach
“Marcus Freeman has completely changed the culture (at Notre Dame), and it wasn’t that bad when he took over,” said ESPN college guru Paul Finebaum, who has covered SEC football since 2001.
“Remember he was under Brian Kelly, but Brian Kelly didn’t think he could win a championship at Notre Dame, so he went to LSU and hasn’t come close.
“Marcus Freeman picked up the pieces and improved the recruiting exponentially, and that’s why Notre Dame is playing now in the semifinals. He not only did a better job of recurring HS athletes; he brought a number of key players in from the portal that made them able to not only beat Georgia but beat down Georgia,” Finebaum added.
The 23-10 win over Georgia on Thursday ended a streak of 20 consecutive non-conference wins for the Bulldogs. Freeman’s 13 wins this season is the most in Notre Dame’s storied history
When Brian Kelly departed for LSU, he left the job in his assistant Freeman’s hands with these unforgettable words:
“My Defense Coordinator is Black and he’s going to be the next head coach.”
Freeman is known as a player’s coach who forms strong bonds with the men he leads. Players of the past, present and future vouched for Freeman to land the prestigious job.
Freeman Joins Tyrone Willingham As Only Black Head Coaches In ND History
Freeman, 38, followed former Notre Dame head coach Tyrone Willingham as just the second Black head coach in school history. Willingham posted a 21-15 record during his tenure in South Bend (2002-04). With the pressures associated with his race, that record wasn’t good enough.
Back when ND hired Willingham, he was actually the first Black coach of any sport in the history of the Irish-Catholic university. At the time, his appointment was the talk of sports radio and shattered racial barriers. It also pissed off plenty of folks.
Willingham received the backing of some prominent people. Former ND graduate Condoleezza Rice who later became the first Black woman to serve as secretary of state, the late Dennis Green (former Vikings and Stanford head coach), and the late Dave Duerson (former ND player and Super Bowl champion with the Bears) among them few.
The former Stanford coach was ushered out the door three seasons and two bowl games later.
Freeman Ascended Quickly From Elite Player To Coaching Ranks
Freeman was a four-star linebacker recruit who attended Ohio State from 2004 to 2008 before being drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft. He played with the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills before retiring in 2010 due to an enlarged heart condition.
He continued his journey in the sport by entering the coaching ranks, directing the linebackers at Kent State (2011-13) and Purdue (2013-16) before becoming a defensive coordinator at Cincinnati (2016-20) under Luke Fickell, another former Buckeye.
Freeman was a Broyles Award finalist in 2020, given annually to the top defensive coordinator.
His ferocious Bearcats defenses were frequently ranked in the FBS top 15. .
After the 2020 season, Freeman was reportedly headed to LSU to become their defensive coordinator, but he instead opted for Notre Dame.
It turned out to be the right choice as The Irish ranked 11th in scoring defense (18.3 points per game) in Freeman’s first season. Freeman’s coached a top 15 defense every season he’s been a coordinator. This season Notre Dame’s defense ranked third in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 11.4 points per game
Freeman went 9-4 in his first season in 2022 and finished 19th int he country. Last season he went 10-3 and this season he exploded to a 13-1 record and national title contention.
The Irish are back!
James Franklin Hasn’t Wasted $70M Bag At Penn State
James Franklin scored a record deal back in 2021, a 10-year extension which will keep the talented recruiter in Happy Valley until 2031.
Franklin will earn no less than $70 million by the time the deal is done, which equates to $7 million per year with bonuses pushing him closer to $8M. If he can win two more games and bring The Nittany Lions program its first national title since 1986, he will have earned every bit of it.
After going 24-15 and making Vanderbilt a respectable football program, Franklin came to Penn State in 2014. The school was still trying to regain its dominance in the wake of the Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky scandal.
It wasn’t an easy road for Franklin, whose teams barely played .500 ball his first two seasons before winning 11 games in the 2016 and 2017 season and appearing in the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. He took a step back in 2021 after COVID rocked college football, but the program has stuck with him for 11 seasons and has been building up to this moment, going 34-7 since 2022 while playing in the second-toughest conference in college football, the Big Ten, and in its Eastern Division with Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State.
At the time, there were doubters, but Franklin’s vision was clear:
“Penn State’s future is bright, and I’m honored to continue to serve as your head football coach. Nine weeks ago, the administration approached me about making a long-term investment in our football program.
This prompted numerous conversations outlining the resources needed to be competitive at a level that matches the expectations and history of Penn State.
What’s most evident from those conversations is the importance of our student-athletes both on and off the field.”
Both of these head coaches are respected, strong leaders with compassion and fury to match any opponent in the nation. Any way you slice it, one of them will be making history on Jan. 9.
