Marcus Freeman drops final verdict on potential NFL transition rumors before Orange Bowl showdown

Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman delivered his verdict on a potential NFL transition. Freeman and the Fighting Irish will play the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl on Thursday in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

Freeman has become one of the top coaches in college football, leading to his name coming up in potential NFL jobs. However, the Notre Dame coach says he is committed to the Fighting Irish.

“I don’t know when they announced it, I can’t remember, but about a week or two ago, they announced another long contract here at Notre Dame. So I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” Freeman told ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Along with Freeman, college football coaches Steve Sarkisian and Dan Lanning's names have also come up as potential coaches to go to the NFL.

Freeman has gone 32-9 in three full years and one bowl game in 2021 as the Fighting Irish's coach.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish are a 1.5-point favorite to defeat Penn State and advance to the CFP final.

Marcus Freeman signed an extension with Notre Dame

Ahead of the college football playoff, Marcus Freeman signed a contract extension with Notre Dame. According to ESPN, the deal is for four years, which secures him for six more years in South Bend.

"I am grateful for the support of the Board of Trustees, led by John Veihmeyer, President Fr. Bob Dowd, C.S.C., and Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua," Freeman said in a statement, via ESPN.

"The investment they continue to pour into our program is invaluable to our student-athletes and staff. This commitment goes well beyond myself, as they are dedicated to ensuring all aspects of our program are competitive within the upper echelon of college football."

This is the first time Freeman has led Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff. With that, the Fighting Irish decided to extend Freeman as their head coach. Notre Dame defeated Indiana in the first round of the playoff and then defeated Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.