Marcus Freeman grew up with their parents of South Korean and African-American ethnicity.
On January 2, 2025, Freeman and his Notre Dame Fighting Irish team defeated the second-seeded Georgia Bulldogs, the SEC Champion, 23-10 in the 2025 Sugar Bowl.
Highlights
- Freeman and his team, Notre Dame, secured a 23-10 victory against the Georgia Bulldogs.
- He was born to his father, Michael Freeman, and his mother, Chong Freeman.
- Marcus grew up with his elder brother, Michael Freeman Jr., the director of internal audits and compliance for the Veterans Administration.
The College Football Playoff quarterfinals were rescheduled a day later due to the 2025 New Orleans truck attack.
Earlier, head coach, Marcus revealed his message to his team ahead of the Sugar Bowl after the game was postponed.
Freeman appeared on ESPN and told Scott Van Pelt what he had told his team. He said,
“The first part of that meeting was to mourn and pray for our country,” “But the end of the meeting was to redirect our focus to preparing for this game.”
Marcus Freeman
He said that he and his players understood the broader meaning of putting a game on and that while winning to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals is important, rallying around the city after a terror attack was also on the mind. He added,
“In the toughest moments, the culture of any program, of a nation, are revealed,” “I have a lot of faith we’re going to rally around the city of New Orleans and support all the victims and families that were affected today.”
Marcus Freeman
However, Notre Dame will play the semifinal round with Penn State Nittany Lions on January 9, 2025.
Marcus Freeman’s Parents Always Believed He Would Succeed In Notre Dame Football
American football coach and former linebacker Marcus Freeman, 38, was born on January 10, 1986, in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, United States, to Michael Freeman and Chong Freeman.
His father, Michael, is a retired Air Force Senior Master Sergeant.
Michael always hopes that the lessons he learned and taught during his nearly thirty years of military service will help equip his son to handle the responsibilities of being the 30th head football coach at Notre Dame.
While serving in the U.S. Air Force, he met Marcus’s mother, Chong, and they moved to Huber Heights, Ohio, in 1976, where they currently live.
It was Chong Freeman who insisted her son learn taekwondo.
During the ND Insider interview, Marcus said his mother knew little about sports. She had no clue what football was, but she did know about taekwondo.
While his father was in the Air Force for 26 years, his mother, Chong, cared for him.
In an interview with ABC57, Michael stated that his wife Chongu is from Daegu, a city in South Korea, and he met her when he was deployed there.
Earlier, father Michael reacted to his son Marcus’s appointment as the next Irish head coach. He said his son has always known the game, but there was more to it for him.
He also added that he’s proud of his son and believes Marcus will handle business in his new position. Michael added,
“People like him. People like being around him. But they know, they’re appreciative of that fact that he has certain goals set for himself and for those around him. His team and things of that nature. He will work to get those things taken care of,”
Michael Freeman
Michael has always believed Marcus would succeed in Notre Dame Football precisely because he worked with a brilliant group of players. He concluded,
“One of the things he confided in me about even going to Notre Dame was how intelligent the football players are,”
Michael Freeman
The Role Of Marcus Freeman’s African-American Father And Asian Mother In Shaping His Identity
Although Marcus was born and raised in Ohio, United States, he holds American nationality and Asian-American-African ethnicity.
His father is an African-American from Columbus, Ohio, whereas his mother is originally from South Korea.
Freemans’ family includes his elder brother, Michael Freeman Jr., 41, who was born in 1984 and graduated from Wayne High School in 2002. They have a two-year age gap.
His brother lives in Austin, Texas, and is a director of internal audits and compliance for the Veterans Administration.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Michael Jr. received a Bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Wittenberg University in 2006.
Later, he received his master’s degree from the University of Phoenix in 2008.
As per the source, Michael Jr. always sends Marcus a text message on game day to motivate him.
Additional Information
- Marcus Freeman, who became the head football coach at Notre Dame in 2021, married Joanna Freeman in 2010. They share six kids: Vinny, Siena, Gino, Nicolo, Capri, and Rocco.
- He was rated as one of the top three overall prospects in Ohio as a senior and named to the Parade All-America team, coming out of Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio.
- Freeman played college football at Ohio State and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft.
