The head coach of Notre Dame is Marcus Freeman. At just thirty-nine, he is one of the youngest coaches in college football. In only his third season, he led Notre Dame all the way to the national championship game in January 2025.
Freeman is half Korean. His mother, a Korean, met his American father, an Air Force officer, while he was stationed in South Korea. They moved to the United States in the 1970s, and Freeman was born soon after. He often talks about how his mother taught him respect, hard work, and service. She worked several jobs and still cooked two dinners every night: American food for the family and Korean food for herself. Freeman would sometimes eat with her and share Korean dishes.
He openly says he is both Black and Korean and takes pride in that identity. One of his proudest moments was escorting his mother to a White House dinner honoring South Korea. He learned taekwondo, loves Korean food, and says his kids do too.
That mix of discipline from his Air Force father and strength from his Korean mother helped shape who he is today. For Marcus Freeman, success on the field traces back to values learned at home: respect, effort, and caring for others.
