Shortly after Brian Kelly left his job as Notre Dame football coach to take the same position at LSU, the Fighting Irish decided to promote defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman in December 2021. Not to mention, Freeman had never been a head coach at any level and was a month shy of his 36th birthday. Notre Dame administrators trusted Freeman, and after some difficult stretches, their move appeared to have paid off.

With No. 7 Notre Dame (11-1) set to face No. 10 Indiana (11-1) in the opening game of the College Football Playoff on Friday, Freeman agreed Sunday to a three-year contract extension through the 2030 season. FootballScoop and Irish Illustrated writer John Brice reported that Freeman will earn more than $9 million annually, up from $7 million under the contract he signed when he was hired three years ago. Freeman will also have access to more money to compensate his assistant coaches and other staff members.

While it seems like a no-brainer for Notre Dame to secure Freeman long-term, it wasn’t always seen that way. After the Fighting Irish lost 16-14 to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7, some wondered whether Freeman could live up to expectations and keep the team on track for an entire season. In Freeman’s first two seasons, the Fighting Irish posted records of 9-4 and 10-3 and won two bowl games, but suffered losses to Marshall and Stanford in 2022 and Louisville and Clemson last year.

Since the game against Northern Illinois, however, Notre Dame has gone on a dominant run, winning ten straight games by an average of 30.7 points per game. Still, Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua claims he was convinced of Freeman before the Fighting Irish’s last outing. In recent weeks, Bevacqua has been in constant contact with Clint Dowdle, Freeman’s agent and head of football coaching and executives at WME. Bevacqua also discussed contract details with Father Robert Dowd, Notre Dame’s president, and John Veihmeyer, a former KPMG chairman and current chairman of Notre Dame’s board of trustees. The men agreed it was an “easy” decision to extend Freeman’s contract, according to Bevacqua, who said he often tells people that Notre Dame’s two most visible representatives are the president and the football coach.

“When you think of Coach Freeman, there is no better representative of Notre Dame,” Bevacqua said at a news conference Tuesday. “He is so authentic, so sincere. Everything that makes Notre Dame different and special, and some would say perhaps more difficult, he embraces and uses it as an advantage and differentiator.”

The timing of the announcement was intentional. Bevacqua said he wanted to get a deal done a few days before the CFP opener so that the talks wouldn’t distract Freeman or anyone else at Notre Dame.

Bevacqua, who was chairman of NBC Sports before taking the helm at Notre Dame earlier this year, said Friday’s game was the most anticipated sporting event since November 1993, a few months after he graduated from Notre Dame . Back then, Bevacqua was there when the No. 2 Fighting Irish defeated No. 1 Florida State in a game of the century.

“That’s where my expectations turn to Friday, that kind of atmosphere where it feels like the entire country is focused solely on one sporting event,” Bevacqua said. “I think because we’re the first game (of this year’s CFP), because it’s at Notre Dame Stadium, because it’s going to be this great primetime interstate game on a Friday, I think it really has a chance to to become one “spectacular moment in sports and hopefully a spectacular moment in Notre Dame sports history.”

Bevacqua expects many more memorable games with Freeman at the helm. Although Freeman has a new contract, numerous coaches have moved on to other jobs, leading some to question whether Freeman would move because of an offer from an NFL franchise or Ohio State, his alma mater. Bevacqua said there were no “carveouts” in Freeman’s contract regarding the NFL or Ohio State, meaning there would likely be a significant buyout if Freeman ever wanted to leave Notre Dame.

Still, Bevacqua seems confident that Freeman is in an enviable position. Bevacqua said Notre Dame will opt for the House settlement, which a judge is expected to rule on in April, opening the door for athletics departments to share revenue with athletes for the first time. If the settlement is approved, Bevacqua estimates athletics departments will share $20.5 million with athletes beginning in the 2025-26 school year. He added that “a large portion” of those proceeds will benefit the Fighting Irish football team.

During discussions with Freeman about his contract extension, Bevacqua said the coach was primarily concerned with providing money for his staff, including defensive coordinator Al Golden and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, both of whom are reportedly among the highest-paid assistants in college football. The idea is that it costs millions to retain and hire the best coaches and other staff. Notre Dame is also upgrading its facilities, including breaking ground in April on Jack and Kathy Shields Family Hall, a 150,000-square-foot building for football players that is scheduled to open in 2026.

“I don’t think it’s a secret that we keep pushing,” Bevacqua said. “Football is a priority and winning national championships is a priority. I said that to Marcus and we laughed. We’re both kind of insanely obsessed with winning a national championship and more in football.”