Do the Chicago Bears believe they can pry head coach Marcus Freeman away from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish?
On Sunday, FOX Sports cited a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero claiming that the Bears are interested in interviewing Freeman, who recently signed a contract extension with Notre Dame through 2030.
“Chicago is seeking an interview with Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman to fill its head-coaching vacancy,” the FOX Sports report said.
“The Fighting Irish are gearing up to play the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 20. They previously beat the Penn State Nittany Lions, Georgia Bulldogs and Indiana Hoosiers in the CFP.”
“Chicago is one of five NFL teams still seeking a new head coach, with the New England Patriots (Mike Vrabel) being the only one to hire a new coach thus far. The Bears, who went 5-12 this season, are in the midst of a thorough search, which has seen them interview Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, among many others.”
“Freeman played linebacker for Ohio State (2004-08) and was selected by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.”
Although Freeman’s NFL playing career was compromised by a heart ailment, the 39-year-old head coach has experienced tons of success over the past three seasons at the helm of The Fighting Irish.
The Bears are coming off a tumultuous season in which they fired their offensive coordinator and head coach, but the future remains bright with Caleb Williams under center.
Perhaps Chicago is motivated to bring in a young head coach like Freeman to grow alongside Williams and kickstart a new era at Soldier Field, something fans were hoping would have been launched this past season.
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