The Freeman Era

A new mindset. A new day. A NEW ERA for Notre Dame Football.

Yesterday was the start of a new era for Notre Dame Football. There was a press conference the likes of which had never been seen for a Head Coach at Notre Dame. (quite the stark contrast from the previous Head Coach!)

Walking into the Irish Athletics Center on campus, there was a celebratory mood in the air. There was a large stage with the word IRISH in huge gold letters as the backdrop. There were the famous golden helmets. There was real excitement in the air!

When the Notre Dame Band, Cheerleaders and The ND Leprechaun walked in, you knew it was going to be something special. They quickly formed a tunnel, and the greatest of all fight songs started. In walked our new Head Coach Marcus Freeman, along with his wife and 6 children. Following them was AD Jack Swarbrick, Father Jenkins, and the 7 Notre Dame Football Captains, and former Notre Dame Quarterback and current Fox Sports analyst, Brady Quinn (ND ’07) the emcee of the event.

After welcomes by Brady Quinn, speeches by Father Jenkins and Jack Swarbrick, it was time for the man of the hour.

Coach Marcus Freeman got up to the podium, looked down, and up and said, “There’s a lot of people here.”

Coach Freeman began by thanking Father John and Jack Swarbrick, saying, “I am forever grateful for this opportunity to lead this football program. I’m ready for this challenge, and I’m ready to lead this program to the greatest heights.”

Coach went on to say, “The chance to lead the football program at the University of Notre Dame is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I would never take that for granted. Being the leader of this program isn’t about one person, and it never will be. Being the leader of this program is about understanding to be successful on this journey. It’s going to take others, and we’re going to have to do this as a team. That’s why doing it at the University of Notre Dame is so special. It’s because of the people. The people make this opportunity special. The people that are currently here – the students, the faculty, the countless other people that step onto this campus, the people that have come through Notre Dame and have planted themselves throughout the world, the Notre Dame Network that at any moment, for any reason will find you a solution.”

Coach Freeman went on to talk about his parents, and the traits he gets from them. He talked about the team, and what we can expect. “We will be disciplined. We will be tough. We will work tirelessly. But we will do it with the understanding that no one person, no one coach is more important than another. As a team and as a family, we’ll accomplish all of our goals.”

This team is going to be something special. They have the faith in each other. They have faith in their Head Coach. They are Notre Dame Football.

Some other notable quotes from Coach Freeman from yesterday’s press conference:

Coach mentioned that he plans on leading this team with an unwavering standard. “We will call it the golden standard. So, what is the golden standard? Number one, it’s challenge everything. This is why I’m here. Our leaders challenge everything. Our athletic director, our president challenge normalcy. Challenge everything is a mentality to find a better way. Number two is unit strength. Unit strength means love. It’s making a choice to love your teammates. It’s what turns players into a team. And number three is the competitive spirit. It’s creating a winner’s mindset. I believe that leaders are born but winners are created and you’re created through intentional actions. As I previously stated, this standard will be unwavering, and this is the standard that will drive this program to its 12th National Championship.”

Coach Freeman on recruiting: “I’d better be the number one recruiter. I’d better be the lead recruiter in every kid that we recruit and I plan on doing it. We obviously have to depend on our staff, and I will depend on our staff to make sure we know who and what and why we’re recruiting every individual. If I’m not the lead recruiter, then we’re cheating.”

Coach Freeman on how Notre Dame has changed him: “I think from coming in from, being an outsider coming in, there’s times you think you can come to Notre Dame and say, I’m going to change who can come in here. I’m going to change who can have success here. You won’t. You have to embrace this place. You have to embrace the things that make us different. You have to embrace the people here that are different. You have to embrace the competitive thinkers, the individuals that are this football team. If you embrace everything that comes with the University of Notre Dame, you’re going to be better because of it. And it’s better – you can put a line there. Better person, better football player, better student, better mother, father. But if you embrace this place, you’re going to be better because of it.”

Welcome, Coach Marcus Freeman!

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As always, GOOO IRISH!

pic via ND Football

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