SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman has been selected by the Football Writers Association of America as a finalist for the 2024 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. Freeman joins a group of nine finalists for the honor.
Freeman, in his third season at Notre Dame, has led the Irish to an 11-1 record in 2024, with a No. 3 ranking in the Associated Press (AP) and Coaches Polls, and the No. 7 seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff.
2024 marks Freeman’s first finalist honor for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. Four previous Notre Dame coaches have won the award: Ara Parseghian (1964), Lou Holtz (1988), Charlie Weis (2005) and Brian Kelly (2012).
Freeman led Notre Dame to four victories over opponents ranked in the AP Poll at the time of the game this season: No. 20 Texas A&M, No. 15 Louisville, No. 24 Navy and No. 18 Army. The victory over Army was the 11th ranked win of the Freeman era at Notre Dame, more than any other Irish head coach in the first three years of his tenure.
Notre Dame finished out the regular season ranking among the top teams in the nation in multiple statistical categories, including: first in team passing efficiency defense (94.10), first in turnovers gained (28), first in defensive touchdowns (6), second in turnover margin (1.33), third in scoring defense (13.6), fourth in scoring offense (39.8), fourth in passing yards allowed (157.9), fourth in interceptions (17), fourth in fourth-down success rate (0.760), sixth in passes had intercepted (5), seventh in fumbles recovered (11), ninth in red zone defense (0.733), 10th in total defense (296.8), 10th in rushing offense (224.8) and 10th in first downs defense (197).