Diehard wrestling fan Marcus Freeman draws perfect reaction from WWE for his strong connection with Hall of Famer

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman made history as the first Black coach to lead his team to the national championship game when the Fighting Irish beat the Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24 in the Orange Bowl. The Fighting Irish will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the national championship game on Monday.

After arriving in Atlanta with his team, Freeman held his last news conference before the big game against his alma mater and discussed his love of wrestling, which has lasted for years.

“I grew up watching it (wrestling),” Marcus Freeman said. “I liked it. I don't know — the characters? I think at different phases you enjoy different things. When I was young, everything was real. You ended up idolizing the Hulk Hogans and Ultimate Warriors and all those guys.”

The Fighting Irish coach further said his former Ohio State teammate and current Buckeyes linebackers coach James Laurinaitis, who is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Joe Laurinaitis, also known as "The Road Warrior Animal," exposed him to the world of wrestling at OSU.

“As I got to go to some WrestleManias with James (Laurinaitis) — I can’t remember how many — you got to know some people,” Freeman said. “When I found out the son of the Animal was coming in (as an Ohio State recruit), I was a fan. I'm a wrestling fan.”

Having played together at Ohio State, Freeman and James have been best friends for years, even attending each other's weddings. Freeman also gave James his first coaching job as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2022.

On Friday, the official WWE account on X quote-tweeted Marcus Freeman's news conference about his association with wrestling with a one-finger emoji.

Marcus Freeman's eldest son, Vinny Freeman, plays safety for Penn High School while also indulging in wrestling, and the Notre Dame coach revealed that he takes his family to watch various wrestling events.

“If we can get to a wrestling event and I can take my kids there, we try to,” Freeman said. “Now it's about seeing your kids happy. And if my kids want to go see wrestling, as a father I would try to do that.”

Marcus Freeman dismisses NFL job links

On Saturday, Sports Illustrated linked Marcus Freeman to the vacant Chicago Bears job, and the Notre Dame coach dismissed the links during his news conference ahead of the national championship game against Ryan Day's Ohio State Buckeyes.

"Here's the reality – with team success comes individual recognition, and to hear that the Bears have interest is humbling," Freeman said. "But, it's also a reminder that with team success comes individual success. So, I have put zero thought into coaching in the NFL.

"All my attention has just been on getting this team prepared for the opportunity we have in front of us. So, probably not the answer you're looking for."

Marcus Freeman has boosted his reputation in football circles with the dominant run to the national championship game, and the NFL job links were therefore almost inevitable.