Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman & family enjoy CFB offseason, show up for WWE Smackdown at Chicago

Marcus Freeman, head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, attended the WWE Friday Night SmackDown show in Rosemont, Illinois, with his family.

Freeman, who is in his third year as the head coach at Notre Dame, was spotted sitting in the front row of the event with his wife Joanna and their six children: Vinny, Siena, Gino, Nico, Capri and Rocco.

Freeman's appearance at the WWE event comes as he prepares for his third season leading the Notre Dame program. After going 9-4 in his first full season as head coach in 2022, Freeman will look to build on that success and lead the Fighting Irish to a better result.

After Coach Freeman's surprise appearance at the WWE event, fans took to social media to express their excitement. One fan tweeted:

"Damn, Marcus Freeman is at Smackdown. Officially my favorite Notre Dame coach of all time."

Another fan pointed out:

"Marcus Freeman, a big WWE guy."

A fan commented on the Notre Dame football coach's presence at Smackdown:

"Marcus Freeman sitting front row at Smackdown, that classic Notre Dame football coach/WWE connection."

Moreover, a fan tweeted to Brandon Walker:

“Brandon Walker you’re sitting 30ft away from Marcus Freeman. He would be a great addition to the #Family”

Additionally, another fan expressed:

"Marcus Freeman with his FOINE tail self!"

And another fan wrote:

"Oh, coach Marcus Freeman is fine as hell."

Coach Marcus Freeman dealing with roster adjustments

Notre Dame will look to be a top contender with coach Freeman, who became the 32nd head coach in the program's history. He started his career with three losses and gained his first win the following week, against the Golden Bears last season.

On the flip side, Notre Dame's defensive linemen Aiden Gobaira and Tyson Ford have been placed on Medical Scholarships.

Gobaira redshirted as a freshman and then suffered an ACL injury during last August's fall camp. Ford, a former four-star prospect, participated in two games over his two seasons at Notre Dame, both of which were in 2023.

Ford took a break from the program in the spring to contemplate his next steps. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman mentioned in April that Ford is taking some personal time off to figure out his plans.

What do you think will be Notre Dame's biggest challenge this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!