With Brian Kelly’s firing at LSU, the opening in Baton Rouge is now the top job in this year’s college football coaching carousel. Lane Kiffin is reportedly at the top of LSU’s list, but the Ole Miss head coach will have plenty of options this offseason, including staying put in Oxford. If Kiffin ultimately decides to remain with the Rebels or go elsewhere, LSU’s coaching search could take some wild turns including trying to lure a coach away from another high-level and well established program.
One interesting name that has been thrown around in this category is Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. Now in his fourth season leading the Fighting Irish, Freeman is coming off a national championship game appearance and has his team in position to make a second straight College Football Playoff appearance. Widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the sport, it makes sense that Freeman would be a candidate for one of the best jobs in college football.
Interestingly, this wouldn’t be the first time Freeman would have to make a decision between Notre Dame and LSU. Back in 2021, both programs were searching for a new defensive coordinator, and Freeman, then coming off an impressive run as Cincinnati’s DC, was one of the most sought-after assistants in the country.
At the time LSU head coach Ed Orgeron publicly stated that Freeman was his top target for the job, meaning Freeman’s choice likely came down to the Tigers and the Irish. Obviously, Freeman chose Notre Dame with proximity to home being a major factor. When talking about deciding between the two schools back in 2021 Freeman said, “So then I started basing it off of facts and that’s where there was nothing. I looked for every answer to say no to Notre Dame, and it was just like, Notre Dame, Notre Dame, honey we’re going to Notre Dame. And that’s what we did.”
It is important to note that last time around this it was for a defensive coordinator position, not a head coaching job, which could be completely different. Back then, Freeman said money wasn’t a problem between the two schools, but that could certainly be a factor this time around.
Ultimately, this could all end up being nothing as Freeman may be completely content at Notre Dame, or LSU could land its reported top target in Kiffin or go in another direction entirely. What we do know is that this year's college football coaching carousel will be a wild ride. And if Freeman once again finds himself choosing between South Bend and Baton Rouge, it will be fascinating to see whether he makes the same decision or chooses to try something new with LSU.