"Different, No Doubt" What if Marcus Freeman Followed Brian Kelly to Baton Rouge?
- Alex Madsen
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Former Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly appeared on ‘The Independent’ podcast and explored the impact Marcus Freeman could have made as a LSU Coordinator.
The vast majority of Irish fans know the name Brian Kelly and have plenty of takes regarding him. Oftentimes, it is forgotten or intentionally ignored that Kelly currently has the most wins in Irish history. Irish fans can be forgiven for harsh feelings regarding the former coach, especially given his untimely and arguably disrespectful departure in 2021.
After Kelly notified the then 11-1 Notre Dame football team that he was leaving for LSU, he cooked up a storm of disgust and disbelief from fans and players alike. In the midst of the situation, Kelly attempted to nab his coordinators and make them Tigers. For a short while, Offensive Coordinator Tommy Rees, who is a former Notre Dame Quarterback, and Defensive Coordinator Marcus Freeman were expected to follow their coach and complete the move.
However, on December 6th, 2021, the announcement of Freeman taking the helm sent a wave of relaxation throughout the Irish Nation. On top of the announcement, Rees would retain his job as offensive coordinator under Freeman.
Freeman was somewhat of a nervous pick for any Irish fan, as he was a first-time head coach. However, he would alleviate the shakiness and second-guessing from everyone after he led the Irish to the 2025 National Championship in only his third year. Notre Dame fans are a near consensus in support of Freeman over Kelly. However, what if LSU had snagged both coordinators?
Brian Kelly gave insight into this very topic in the interview. Kelly agreed that having coaches who he knew spoke his coaching language and philosophy would've meant a lot. He later went on to double down on how having an unfamiliar staff probably made the process worse.
“One of the things that may have made this process slower than they wanted it to be was coordinator hires”
“I had to make a change after year two in defense. That’s never a great thing”
Kelly then followed up with a modicum of praise for his former Defensive Coordinator, Brian House. “I think the world of Brian House,” Kelly said. “He’s a great man and a smart football coach, but it just didn’t work.” Kelly then showered understanding upon House’s eventual replacement, Joe Sloan. “He was handed an obviously tough situation,” Kelly remarked. “He was inexperienced in some areas and outstanding in others.”
Finally, Kelly answered the question everyone had been waiting for.
“Those two that you mentioned [Freeman and Rees], if they were able to make the move, it would’ve been an easier transition, no doubt.”
Finally, Kelly shed some light on why Freeman had decided to stay in South Bend after all.
“Well, I didn't ask him directly what changed his mind, but I know his family was very strong in this decision-making process. So, I will just assume without knowing that I don't have the answer. I think his family had a very strong influence in where they wanted to be and where they wanted to raise their family.”
According to Kelly, it was ultimately Freeman’s family that kept him at Notre Dame, and in turn, assured Notre Dame would be relevant as well. Perhaps karma is real, and Freeman simply caught the sweet end of its tail.
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