As the head coach of the University of Notre Dame, the microscope is always going to be on Marcus Freeman. When things are going great, we will know about it. When things are going poorly, we will know about it even more.
With it being Coach Freeman’s first head coaching job, it is a lot to figure out on the fly in a hostile environment. Irish fans are starved for a championship, and that expectation wasn’t going to be tempered just because it was Coach Freeman’s first head coaching job two years ago. The standard is the standard.
Now entering year three, there is a lot on the line this year for Notre Dame. There is some big optimism over what 2024 can bring, and deep belief that this could be the year the program truly competes for a championship. We will know a lot more about Coach Freeman after this season.
TWO-YEAR PROGRESS REPORT
Former head coach Brian Kelly set a standard at Notre Dame, especially after the disastrous 4-8 season in 2016. The team expected to win ten games every year and be in contention for a big bowl appearance. That was the standard that Coach Freeman walked into, seemingly in charge of a sustainable product.
What most fans won’t recognize is that Kelly didn’t leave the program in the best spot from an overall roster talent perspective. His last season in 2021 was good on the surface, finishing with an 11-1 regular season record. That’s why stats can lie. For anyone who watched that team, they know there were several huge flaws that were going to hinder the team moving forward, such as an underdeveloped offensive line and troubling quarterback quality.
From a recruiting and roster acquisition perspective, Coach Freeman has to rebuild the talent pool quickly. The long-term would, and should have, outweighed that initial 2022 season. That first season ended with a 9-4 overall record, an underwhelming first season in a vacuum.
2023 was viewed as a step in the right direction to a degree. A 10-3 overall record shouldn’t be viewed as a success at Notre Dame, and it isn’t. But in order for fans to buy in, they want to see growth. The product on the field simply looked better than the year prior. It was a small step, but one that was needed.
Now we enter the 2024 season with expectations on a whole other level. A “make or break” season is seriously overstated but don’t get it twisted, there is a lot on the line this season.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The 2024 season has to show continued improvement on the field, which should be expected. More than that, the expectations have been set far higher.
All offseason Notre Dame fans have been clamoring for what should be a tremendous 2024 campaign. The program has so much going for it. From a roster perspective, it is the deepest it has been in for some time. Quarterback recruiting and the transfer portal are also at a level that has given everyone so much confidence that has been lost in recent years. Add in a coaching staff that looks like a potentially elite one, there’s a lot to be excited for.
With that amount of talent and expectations, this season is one that should give us a real evaluation of Coach Freeman. He has done a lot of great things in two years from a program perspective, but now it is time for it to show more consistently on the field. The playoffs, and a run at the championship, are very much within reach.
Just how good can this program be under Coach Freeman? We should find out more in 2024.
Local South Bend, IN
Most Popular
Comments / 0