Marcus Freeman just etched his name into history! Before the Orange Bowl outcome, no one would’ve given a big deal about the Notre Dame HC’s background. But now, it’s coming to light. There was this coveted title that was in the line for both him and Penn State HC James Franklin ahead of the Orange Bowl. But hurray for Freeman! He just set a milestone for the Black community.

The Orange Bowl victory in the CFP semifinals made Marcus Freeman the “first Black HC and first HC of Asian descent to make FBS National Championship.” And who would be more proud than revolutionary Black coach Deion Sanders himself, who gave his salute to the Irish’s HC? On his Instagram on January 9, he posted a photo of Freeman and his achievement with a three-word caption, “Congratulations my brother.”

It’s a double reason for joy for anyone associated with Freeman’s journey. His success also means that he’s the first coach from an Asian American heritage (on his mother’s side) to lead a team into the final game of the playoffs. Just imagine if he wins it. It would be a victory for inclusivity, diversity and representation: some things that college football can have more of, especially in the head coaching positions.

Fans may wonder: why make it about race? Well, when you have a game with over 150 years of history, and you have no head coaching wins (national championships) from communities where the most players come from, it means there is a void, and, at times, a systemic void. Freeman is just the right person to represent change.

Who would’ve thought Notre Dame would be celebrating this win, given their plight in the first half? The Irish survived a big scare at the start of the Orange Bowl game. Penn State came in strong and dominated them in the first two quarters limiting them to 10-3. Not only that, they beat several of Notre Dame’s players including LT Anthonie Knapp and QB Riley Leonard. 

But the second half was a miraculous comeback. Leonard came back to help the Irish put up 24 more points in the later half for an epic comeback to cap the final result in a 27-24 win. What a season it has been for Marcus Freeman who won both the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year and George Munger Award! But this glorious feat only exposed the 39-year-old HC’s humility. 

A dig into Marcus Freeman’s background 

About his descent, let’s hear it from Marcus Freeman himself from an interview with Notre Dame’s official website. He introduced his parents – Michael and Chong Freeman – saying, “My father’s African American. He’s from Columbus, Ohio, and was in the Air Force. And my mother is Korean. She’s from South Korea, Daegu city in South Korea.” Who knew Notre Dame’s HC is half-Korean? 

Freeman’s always a good sport, too. When he was asked about his emotions at becoming the first Black HC and first HC of Asian descent to make a major championship game, he made it clear that he didn’t want his achievement to steal the team’s spotlight. But his response was — “It is an honor and I hope all coaches, minorities, Black, Asian, white… great people continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this.” Spoken like a true leader! 

Anyway, this is truly a huge thing. Despite Marcus Freeman trying to contain the hype, he deserves a big shoutout! Also, congratulations to Notre Dame, which is back on the big stage after its last national championship appearance in 2013.