Back in January when the LSU Tigers were looking to hire a new defensive coordinator, eyes were on Cincinnati’s Marcus Freeman. It was widely speculated that he was next in line to replace Bo Pelini as the next Tigers’ defensive coordinator. Only problem being that he turned down that job offer to head to Notre Dame.
Freeman was an up-and-coming name on the coaching circuit. He spent 2010 as a grad assistant with Ohio State before heading to Kent State. After two seasons there he moved on to Purdue before joining Cincinnati in 2017. So why did Freeman opt for Notre Dame over coaching with LSU in the SEC? Our colleagues at Fighting Irish Wire might have solved that conundrum.
While speaking on race and sports in America, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly stated that Freeman was going to be the next Fighting Irish head coach.
“My defensive coordinator is Black, and he’s going to be the next head coach,” Kelly said. “This is not about color or race. This is about the things they (Steph Curry, Dell Curry, Vince Carter) just talked about.
Being given a promise or a clause in the contract as the head coach in waiting might be a clear indicator as to why Freeman chose South Bend over the Bayou.
Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.