Marcus Freeman kept Notre Dame fans on pins and needles as he considered his future. After a four-year run that saw the head coach carry on the mantle left by Brian Kelly and arguably upgrade the function of the team, Freeman had a choice. He has now made it.
The Notre Dame head coach posted whether he would be leaving or not on X on Monday. The message was simple and clear.
2026…run it back
Go Irish ☘️
— Marcus Freeman (@Marcus_Freeman1) December 29, 2025
“2026…run it back Go Irish ☘️,” he posted.
The announcement of his return left most Notre Dame fans thrilled, but upset fans of other fanbases that had hoped to land the head coach, including New York Giants fans.
“YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE COACHING THE GIANTS MAN!” one posted.
“So the giants told you no?” another asked.
“its going to be funny asf when he gets announced as the Giants coach in a few weeks,” one predicted.
More fans reacted, with plenty setting low expectations for 2026.
“It’s my birthday today, greatest gift ever,” one fan declared.
“Can’t even make playoffs. Rudy a hoax,” another posted.
“Gonna run it back and miss the playoffs again,” one added.
Freeman’s Fighting Irish went 10-2 in 2025, posting the second-highest win percentage of the head coach’s career. However, some fans noted that the 10-2 team missed the expanded College Football Playoff one year after making it in 2024.
The two losses were the result of a slow start early in the season, losing to the Miami Hurricanes and the Texas A&M Aggies in back-to-back games. The Fighting Irish won every remaining game, but it wasn’t enough.
Exploring Marcus Freeman’s Chances Of Joining New York Giants Before Decision
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the NFL’s New York Giants had interest in hiring the head coach of the Fighting Irish. In a clip posted by NFL Network on X on Dec. 21, Garafolo reported that the Giants were conducting a “widespread search” because there was “no Ben Johnson offensive belle of the ball type candidate.”
Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman is expected to be a top candidate for the Giants HC position, per @MikeGarafolo. pic.twitter.com/mx4fDybzAM
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) December 21, 2025
As such, a deep search into various outlets was to be assumed, including hiring away coaches from college football. The Giants came up empty with Freeman, but the team had hardly put all its eggs in one basket.
Had Freeman decided to join the Giants, he would have been tasked with replacing Brian Daboll, who had been fired earlier in the year. The two-win team, largely made up of recent college stars like Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, and Cam Skattebo, might have been at home with a former college coach.
Instead, Freeman is set to return, leaving New York to look elsewhere, including seemingly at other college coaching candidates.
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