Notre Dame coaching candidates to replace Marcus Freeman, including rising SEC coach

Brian Kelly developed a reputation for being unable to win the big game as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach. Following an upset loss to Northern Illinois, Marcus Freeman has proven he can’t win some winnable games and it’s time to start evaluating Notre Dame coaching candidates.

The Fighting Irish desperately wanted to make it work with Freeman. He joined the school in 2021 as a defensive coordinator under Kelly and when Kelly left for LSU, Notre Dame’s coaching search landed on Freeman. With endorsements from players and Kelly, there was a lot of optimism for the future.

Marcus Freeman coaching record: 20-9 as Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach

In the last three years, 28 teams have at least a 16-point favorite and lost at home, the Fighting Irish are responsible for three of those instances (FOX Sports). The inability to find a high-end quarterback, playing a major role in these upsets losses gives the program no other choice. Now let’s dive into some early Notre Dame coaching candidates.

Lance Leipold, Kansas Jayhawks

There are plenty of outstanding assistants across college football who make for intriguing Notre Dame coaching candidates. However, as the Fighting Irish saw with Freeman, some major risks come with a first-year coach. If the program wants someone proven, Lance Leipold is an excellent option.

Also Read: Heisman Watch 2024, Heisman Trophy rankings

Leipold took over for Les Miles as the Kansas Jayhawks head coach when the football program was in disarray. From 2020-’21, Kansa went 2-19 under Miles and he left behind a weak roster. In his first season at the helm, Leipold won 6 games, including an upset victory over No. 18 Oklahoma State. The next year, Leipold’s Jayhawks went 9-4, beating No. 6 Oklahoma. The Washington Huskies pursued Leipold in January 2024 (FootballScoop.com) but couldn’t land him. With Notre Dame’s resources, Leipold can thrive.

Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri Tigers

If there’s going to be a Notre Dame coaching search, the Fighting Irish might as well take some big swings. The Missouri Tigers are a program on the rise and with the SEC’s continued growth, the football team will be getting even more money in the years to come. With that said, going from Missouri to Notre Dame is a clear upgrade if he wants it.

Drinkwitz’s first head-coaching job came at Appalachian State back in 2019 and he improved upon Scott Satterfield’s record (10-2) the previous year. At Missouri, it took a slow rebuild before the Tigers reached new heights. Now, they are one of the best teams in college football with a defense-first approach. Plus, Drinkwitz’s Tigers have arguably provided the second-best competition to the Georgia Bulldogs in the past two years. A proven coach who can push this team over the top, Drinkwitz would be an excellent target.

Dave Doeren, NC State Wolfpack

Dave Doeren has done phenomenal work with the NC State Wolfpack’s football program. Prior to his arrival in 2023, the Wolfpack recorded three seasons with 9-plus wins from 1993-2012. He’s reached that mark four times since the 2017 season. Unfortunately, NC State is also at its ceiling.

Among the reasons Doeren should be among the Notre Dame coaching candidates, he and his staff know how to find quarterbacks and have success with them. Devin Leary and Ryan Finley are two of the best quarterbacks in the program’s recent history, Doeren had outstanding success with them. He’s also got Tony Gibson on his staff, one of the best defensive coordinators in college football. With the athletic facilities and financial resources that the Fighting Irish can offer, Doeren could finally take that next big step in his career.

Glenn Schumann, Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator

We’ll close out our preliminary list of Notre Dame coaching candidates with one of the best coordinators in college football. Glenn Schumann, a six-time national champion as an assistant, has spent years learning from the greatest college football coach ever (Nick Saban) and he seems to be the protege of Kirby Smart, the best coach in college football right now.

Schumann is an Alabama alum who joined the Crimson Tide coaching staff as a student assistant under Saban and Smart. He served in that role for a few seasons (2008-’11) before serving as a graduate assistant, spending more time learning from Smart. So, when Smart was hired as the Georgia Bulldogs coach, he brought along Schumann as one of his first hires.

Marcus Freeman buyout: Less than $4 million

The Bulldogs won two national championships, the first coming with Schumann as co-defensive coordinator alongside Dan Lanning. A year later, Georgia won the national championship again with Schumann serving as full-time defensive coordinator. Plus, he knows how to recruit and that’s another area where Notre Dame needs to improve. Schumann will be one of the top college football coaching candidates in 2024-’25 and if Marcus Freeman is gone, Notre Dame should pursue him.