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In Notre Dame’s 27-24 victory over Penn State in the Orange Bowl, head coach Marcus Freeman achieved a significant milestone. He became the first Black-Asian American to reach the college football championship game.
On Thursday (January 10), Notre Dame captured the Orange Bowl in thrilling fashion. Mitch Jeter’s game-winning 41-yard field goal with eight seconds left sealed the deal.
During the hotly contested game, the Fighting Irish found themselves down 10 points in the first half. They would eventually erase a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter,
Up next, the Irish will face the winner of Ohio State and Texas on Friday in the Cotton Bowl. The national championship game is scheduled for Jan. 20 following the first 12-team college playoff.
“It is an honor, and I hope all coaches — minorities, Black, Asian, white, it doesn’t matter, great people — continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this,” Freeman said after the game. “But this ain’t about me. This is about us. We’re going to celebrate what we’ve done because it’s so special.”
After the game, Freeman praised his quarterback Riley Leonard, who earned MVP of the game, for his competitive spirit.
“He’s a competitor and competitors find a way to win, and that’s what Riley does,” Freeman said. “That’s what this team does.”
He also thanked his team for their effort as Notre Dame is in a position to win their first national championship since 1988.
“We found a way to make a play when it mattered the most,” Freeman said. “In my opinion, great teams, great programs, find a way to do that.”
Freeman has never been shy about embracing his racial heritage in an interview With Voices True.
“I embraced my Korean background. I did Taekwondo, which is a Korean martial art, growing up,” Freeman said. “But also, you know, I did sports and embraced my African American side.”
In his third year as Notre Dame’s head coach, Freeman has amassed a record of 34-9. Before taking over as coach, he was the defensive coordinator.
He was an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati, Purdue University, Kent State University, and Ohio State University.
As a student-athlete, Freeman played college football at Ohio State In the 2009 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Chicago Bears. He was a member of the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans.