Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame looks at another major loss as NFL team comes knocking at door

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish battled their way to the College Football Playoff championship game, where the Ohio State Buckeyes beat them earlier this month. The Fighting Irish were led by one of the hottest coaching properties in college football, Marcus Freeman, but their successes aren't exclusively down to his acumen.

Freeman got his team playing phenomenal football thanks to an impressive stable of coaches from offense to defense and then special teams. Following its success this season, rival college teams and NFL franchises have begun poaching coaches from his Notre Dame staff.

So, let's look at a Fighting Irish coach getting major interest from a professional team.

Notre Dame's Joe Rudolph attracts interest from Chicago Bears

According to Sports Illustrated, the Chicago Bears have set their sights on adding offensive line coach Joe Rudolph to Ben Johnson's staff. Rudolph is one of the more experienced members of Marcus Freeman's staff. He got into coaching as far back as 2004 and can count Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame as points of contact.

Rudolph was particularly impressive in 2024, coaching the Fighting Irish through various injury issues. He shuffled his pack of offensive linemen masterfully, and the team competed with the best that college football offered.

If Rudolph accepts the Bears' job, he'll be the third major member of the Fighting Irish to depart in the offseason. General manager Chad Bowden left to join the USC Trojans, while defensive coordinator Al Golden has joined the Cincinnati Bengals.

It'll be interesting to see how Freeman replaces Rudolph if he accepts the Bears' offer.

What can you expect from Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame in 2025?

Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish enjoyed a fairytale run to the national championship game. They beat a host of college football powerhouses en route to the big game. However, the Ohio State Buckeyes were too strong in the title decider.

It's expected that the Fighting Irish will take steps to maintain their standing as one of college football's best teams. Yes, the player and coaching departures are detrimental to team chemistry, but that's part of the game.

Expect Marcus Freeman to figure out exciting new ways to increase the Fighting Irish's number of wins and make them a perennial national championship contender.