For Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, Friday’s College Football Playoff opener against in-state foe Indiana is no different from the previous 12 games, 11 of them wins, that led the Fighting Irish there.
It’s just another Super Bowl.
Episodes 5 and 6 of “Here Come the Irish,” the Peacock-exclusive Notre Dame football documentary series, shine a light onto the coaching style which makes Freeman so admired in the Notre Dame locker room – and which has made the Irish so successful in Year 2 of his tenure leading the program.
“Coach Freeman – I’ve said it my entire time since I’ve been here – is a coach that you want to go win for,” quarterback Riley Leonard says toward the beginning of episode 6, titled ‘Win and You’re In.’ “It’s because every single day he’s so consistent. He’s the man that we all strive to be one day.”
That consistency has defined Freeman all year, from the preseason to the CFP.
Even when Notre Dame’s season could have gone off the rails early with a Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois. Instead, that shocking defeat was a blessing in disguise. The sting of that game helped the Irish right the ship – and it’s a sting the second-year head coach wants his team to remember.
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“Don’t lose the pain,” Freeman tells his players at the end of episode 5, ‘Next Man Up,’ before Notre Dame takes on Florida State. “Because we figured out after NIU what we had to do to get to where we’re at.”
The latest episodes, available on Peacock, highlight some of the ups and downs through which Freeman has guided his team and players this fall – including a season-ending injury to key cornerback Benjamin Morrison.
It was a huge blow to the defensive unit and team as a whole. But it was a moment where Freeman knew he needed to resist feeling sorry for himself, instead focusing his attention on supporting his player.
Freeman says that being there for his program, coaches and players when they need him is what defines leadership. And it’s not lost on any of his players, including Morrison himself.
“You look around the country, see different head coaches, but like – there’s not a guy who I would want to play for more than Freeman,” Morrison says in episode 5. “Freeman just embodies everything it means just to be a leader.”
The latest episodes also highlight the other key attributes Freeman has stressed to his team in 2024: urgency to improve, preparation, conviction, attention to detail, rejecting complacency, how only team glory can beget individual glory. In episode 5, he even arranges for the coaching staff’s children to pass out candy to the players for Halloween – hoping the children learn gratitude and the players feel like kids again.
Above all, though, is Freeman’s mantra: consistency.
“What we’ve done won’t be good enough to reach our full potential, to accomplish the goals that we have. But what we’re willing to do? It will be,” Freeman says in episode 6. “But we’ve got to make sure we understand that. That what we did last week ain’t good enough. We’ve gotta be consistent and consistently do it better.”
“Here Come the Irish” episodes 5 and 6 demonstrate how that message resonates with his players, helping Notre Dame soar to heights it hopes to keep building upon in the coming weeks.
How can I watch the “Here Come the Irish” documentary on Peacock?
Episodes one through six of “Here Come the Irish” are currently available on Peacock.
The seventh and final episode will be released on Thursday, Jan. 16.
What devices does Peacock support?
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.
Students, now you can get Peacock at a special discount — just $1.99/mo for 12 months. Visit Peacock to learn more and get started!
