Marcus Freeman opens up about “promoting” faith among young people at Notre Dame: “I'm a believer”

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman is about to lead his team into a national championship game. His Fighting Irish will face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday evening for the biggest prize in college football.

On Sunday, Freeman spoke about his faith and how it has become a part of the culture within the Fighting Irish.

"When you're at Notre Dame, faith is something that's openly talked about. ... Amongst our program, it's promoted," Freeman said. " I'm not saying you have to be Catholic, but we want our young people to grow in their faith. ... It's engrained in the Irish culture. I'm a believer."

The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic institution. However, one does not need to be a Catholic to attend, but the religious influence in the university is clear. This influence is also felt in the football team and is something that Marcus Freeman has embraced.

Faith and belief in a higher power, no matter what one's religion is, can be seen as a motivation to achieve goals. This has been seen at Notre Dame under Freeman. In his three years as coach, Freeman has been able to return them to the highs of the recent Brian Kelly era, making the College Football Playoff and the national championship game this season.

Now, he has the opportunity to go one step further and win the Fighting Irish's first national championship since 1988.

Marcus Freeman on the NFL move rumors

Marcus Freeman also spoke about the interest from NFL teams in obtaining his services. This is a common sight, with coaches who perform well being linked to jobs in the pros.

As for Freeman, he has been linked with the Chicago Bears job.

"To hear that the Bears have interest, it's humbling," Freeman said on Sunday. "It's the NFL. But it's also a reminder of with team success comes individual success. I have put zero thought into coaching in the NFL. All my attention has just been on getting this team prepared for every opportunity we have in front of us."

This will be good news for Notre Dame fans. However, once the game is over, this may be something Freeman will want to think about.