Marcus Freeman has significantly contributed to the revival of Catholic traditions at the University of Notre Dame since becoming head coach. One of the key ways he has done this is by reinstating the tradition of the Notre Dame football team attending Mass before games. This practice had been discontinued under the previous coach, Brian Kelly, but Freeman, who converted to Catholicism in early September 2022, brought it back shortly after taking the head coaching position. This pregame Mass is held at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus, followed by the team walking through the "God, Country, Notre Dame" door to the stadium, a ritual that embodies the university's Catholic identity.
Additionally, Freeman has publicly embraced and highlighted the Catholic aspects of Notre Dame, connecting with the community through his faith journey. His conversion to Catholicism was documented as a personal and family decision, reflecting his commitment to the spiritual life of the university. His actions are not only about reinstating traditions but also about leading by example in the context of Notre Dame's Catholic ethos.
Freeman's approach has been consistent with fostering a sense of community and tradition, emphasizing the importance of faith in the team's preparation and unity. This has resonated well with fans and the broader Notre Dame community, who see his efforts as a return to the historical and cultural roots of the institution.
Freeman's conversion to Catholicism occurred in the month the team dropped to 0-2 with a stunning home loss to Marshall. This was one of the worst losses in Notre Dame history and it was followed by another later that year, to Stanford.
This past September, Notre Dame may have suffered the worst one of all, to 28-point underdog Northern Illinois.
Though no one questioned his class, decency and commitment to upholding the character of Notre Dame, people were now openly questioning if he was the right man to coach the football team.
They are questioning no more.
All Freeman's Irish have done since that inexplicable loss is win 13 consecutive games.
Marcus Freeman has become the first Notre Dame coach ever to win 14 games in a season. He has become the first to beat 8 ranked teams in a season. He became the first ever to beat Georgia and now, after beating Penn State, is a win away from giving Notre Dame a National championship.
Congratulations to Marcus Freeman and thank you for returning the fighting spirit to Our Lady's university. Win it all on January 20th!
Freeman is such a welcome change from Brian Kelly. Kelly is a godless liberal whose wife is a militant pro-abort. He is a sociopath who brought nothing but shame and scandal to the university. Cierre Wood, a Kelly recruit was convicted in the murder of a 5-year-old. Kelly apparently covered up for alleged rapist Prince Shembo, whose victim committed suicide. Kelly was directly responsible for the tragic death of Declan Sullivan, a crime of egregious negligence he faced no repercussions for.
Under Brian Kelly, Notre Dame was forced to vacate more than 20 wins. Hypocritically, the media discounts the vacated games when ranking Notre Dame 4th among all-time winning programs but counts them when proclaiming Kelly the winningest coach in Notre Dame history.
True, Kelly's long tenure gives him the most wins among all Notre Dame coaches if you count the vacated games. That total is 113 victories. However, his loss total of 40 makes him also the losingest coach in Notre Dame history. That number actually grows to 64 if you count the vacated games. 89-64 is his actual record. That gives he a very mediocre 58% winning record with no major post season bowl wins.
Marcus Freeman already has won two of the major bowl- Sugar, Orange and has far more wins against ranked opponents.
His biggest victory, however, has been to restore the image of Notre Dame, sullied by the classless Kelly who isn't half the coach Freeman is and not 1/10th the man
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