Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman will make history later this month as the first black head coach to lead his team to the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Freeman, 39, and Notre Dame defeated Penn State 27-24 in the Orange Bowl semifinal game on Thursday, Jan. 9, to punch a ticket to the national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 20.
The head coach, whose father is black and whose mother is South Korean, according to CBS, is also the first head coach of Asian descent to lead his team to a national title game in college football.
After Notre Dame’s semifinal win, Freeman said in his postgame interview that he was honored by the opportunity, adding, “I’ve said this before: I never want to take the focus away from the team.”
Who Is Notre Dame Quarterback Riley Leonard’s Girlfriend? All About Molly Walding (and Their High School Love Story)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman during a first-round playoff game on Dec. 20, 2024.
Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty
“It’s an honor and I hope that all coaches — minority, black, Asian, white, it doesn’t matter, great people — continue to get the opportunity to lead young men like this,” Freeman continued.
“But this isn’t about me. This is about us. We’re going to celebrate what we’ve done because it’s so special.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
NFL legend and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders reacted to Freeman becoming the first black head coach in a post on X. “Congratulations my brother,” Sanders, 57, wrote.
Notre Dame’s win on Thursday brought a number of good moments for Freeman’s team, including running back Riley Leonard adorably yelling to his girlfriend Molly Walding to give her an orange after the confetti fell onto the field.
Had Notre Dame not won during the semifinals, Penn State’s James Franklin would have become the first black head coach to advance to the CFP National Championship.
Freeman is now in his third season as the head coach at Notre Dame, taking over after Brian Kelly’s departure in 2021. His record with the team is now 34-9.
Notre Dame and Freeman will find out Friday night if they will face Texas or Ohio State — Freeman’s alma mater — in the championship game.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education