Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman enters a pivotal phase of his tenure. Can he elevate the program and meet rising expectations?

Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman has had his wife, Joanna Freeman, by his side for every step of his gridiron journey. Marcus, 38, and Joanna met during Marcus' time at The Ohio State University,

Athletic director Pete Bevacqua believes Notre Dame has found the right kind of football alignment with Freeman at the center.

Notre Dame made the hiring of defensive coordinator Chris Ash official on Saturday, issuing a press release about the pending move (requires standard Notre Dame hiring protocol). In that release, Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman issued a statement about the veteran assistant that will now call the Fighting Irish defense.

After coming up empty in the NCAAF final, Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish are already looking ahead, and one of their star players will continue his journey in the NFL.

The Fighting Irish head coach has lost yet another member of the squad which reached the National Championship game this year, this time waving goodbye to one of his offensive lineman