An Ohio native with ties to University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University was named head football coach of Notre Dame Friday morning .
Marcus Freeman replaces former Cincinnati head football coach Brian Kelly, who left Notre Dame to take the head coaching post at LSU ,
Marcus Freeman played at Ohio State from 2004-2008, coached with the University of Cincinnati from 2016-2020 and served last season as the defensive coordinator for Notre Dame.
Freeman comes highly regarded in his first season with the Irish.
Notre Dame junior All-American safety Kyle Hamilton is a fan of Freeman, calling him a "great leader."
“Since he’s come in here, it seems like we’ve known him for years,” Hamilton told reporters.
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Here are six things to know about Freeman.
Marcus Freeman is an Ohio native
Freeman was born on Jan. 10, 1986, in Huber Heights, Ohio.
Marcus Freeman starred in high school
As a high school senior, Freeman was named to the Parade All-America team from Wayne High School and was one of the top three prospects coming out of Ohio.
Marcus Freeman started at Ohio State for several years
Freeman played for the Buckeyes from 2004-2008 and started 37 games at linebacker.
He finished his career with 268 tackles and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection his senior season.
Marcus Freeman played for three teams during his NFL career
Freeman was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 2009 NFL Draft.
He also played for the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans.
Freeman retired in 2010 due to an enlarged heart condition.
Marcus Freeman's coaching career before he came to Cincinnati
Freeman started his coaching career as the linebackers and assistant coach for Kent State in 2011 before moving to Purdue, where he served as the linebackers coach in 2013 and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2016.
Marcus Freeman was one of the first hires in Cincinnati by Luke Fickell
Freeman was hired by the Bearcats on Dec. 13, 2016.
His defense led the AAC in scoring defense in the 2018 and 2019 seasons and was a finalist for the Broyles Award and was named the 247Sports Defensive Coordinator of the Year during the 2020 season.
