The Chicago Bears have cast a wide net for coaching candidates, but could a national title contender be on the list?
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, that possibility exists, as the Bears are aiming to interview Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman amid their ongoing search.
Freeman and the Fighting Irish are busy preparing for the College Football Playoff national championship game, which will take place on Jan. 20 against Ohio State at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but Pelissero is reporting the Bears are serious about their interest in Freeman’s services.
“Obviously unlikely he’d entertain NFL overtures prior to that game…but the Bears have done extensive research for months on Marcus Freeman,” Pelissero reported Sunday.
Freeman took over the Fighting Irish after Brian Kelly left Notre Dame to coach LSU before the 2021 season. In his four seasons in South Bend, Freeman has led the Irish to a record of 33-9, and has them within one victory of their first national title since 1988.
Notre Dame has dazzled the country with their performances this winter, knocking off Indiana in the first round of the playoff before earning a Sugar Bowl victory over SEC champion Georgia and an Orange Bowl victory over Big Ten runner-up Penn State.
The news of the Bears’ interest comes just a month after Freeman agreed to a contract extension with the Fighting Irish that made him one of the highest-paid college coaches, according to ESPN.
Freeman isn’t the only college coach rumored to be on the Bears’ radar, as the team has also reportedly sought an interview with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian could also draw NFL interest, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/hzWDMsN
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