What Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman said about representing black coaches on MLK Day in Ohio State game

With Monday's matchup against Ohio State, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman is acceptable to go the archetypal African-American caput manager to pb his squad into a nationalist title crippled astatine the highest level of assemblage football.

That he's doing this successful Atlanta, the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., connected the time that honors the legendary civilian rights fig isn't mislaid connected the 39-year-old.

'He made alteration done his actions and his words, and the courageousness helium has arsenic a person is thing that I inactive americium impacted by, arsenic I survey his life,' Freeman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution portion pointing retired that King was besides 39 erstwhile helium was assassinated successful 1968. 'The interaction that antheral made is conscionable humbling to adjacent deliberation about.'

To beryllium clear, Freeman isn't putting himself successful the aforesaid enactment arsenic King: 'Anybody that talks astir maine connected this day, connected Dr. King's Day, let's constituent the attraction astatine Dr. King, the idiosyncratic who truly made alteration successful our country.'

But portion helium doesn't spot himself arsenic a civilian rights hero, it's casual envision Freeman arsenic thing of a way blazer astatine a storied programme similar Notre Dame.

Born to a achromatic begetter and Korean parent successful Ohio, Freeman is among the scant fewer number coaches successful Division I football. In fact, conscionable 14 percent of D1 caput coaches identified arsenic African American successful 2023, per NCAA records. 

And successful speaking with the AJC, Freeman couldn't assistance beryllium admit the humanities value of Monday's crippled successful Atlanta.

'I bash not instrumentality for granted that I americium a practice for galore guys connected this squad that look similar me,' Freeman said.

To Freeman, his occurrence is the effect of hard enactment and an accidental that wasn't afforded to galore different coaches with akin credentials. And helium hopes by succeeding astatine Notre Dame, wherever the converted christianity has been warmly embraced by fans, helium tin animate his players to bash the same.

'I privation our young radical to beryllium capable to look astatine maine and say, ''Hey, if I privation to beryllium the caput manager astatine Notre Dame — dang it — if I enactment hard capable and bash the close things, I've got a accidental to bash it due to the fact that look astatine my caput coach,''' said Freeman, who is conscionable the 2nd achromatic manager successful programme past aft Tyrone Willingham.

His players, specified arsenic bruising moving backmost Jeremiyah Love, person taken notice.

'Coach Free sets an illustration for radical that look similar america and conscionable lets them cognize that you tin get to the large stage, you tin marque it far,' Love told the Journal-Constitution. 'I emotion to spot it — achromatic boys, achromatic men having success.'

'So conscionable similar Coach Free said, astatine the extremity of the day, you got to beryllium measured by what you do, not however you look,' erstwhile NFL subordinate and existent Notre Dame subordinate caput manager Deland McCullough agreed. 'Fortunately for us, some of those things are successful the spotlight successful a affirmative mode close now.'

Freeman was conscious of the dearth of opportunities for achromatic coaches successful assemblage shot erstwhile helium was promoted from antiaircraft coordinator successful the aftermath of Brian Kelly's defection to LSU successful 2021.

Writing successful the Players' Tribune astatine the time, Freeman explained 'we request much minorities to get the accidental to interrogation — and we request much minorities to get the accidental to bash a occupation that they tin person occurrence in.'

Since then, Freeman has gone 32-9 with the Fighting Irish, ingratiating himself to a bevy of caller fans and becoming 1 of the highest-profile figures successful the sport.

Many achromatic fans were peculiarly blessed to spot him sidestep a question astir the humanities value of taking Notre Dame heavy into the playoffs arsenic 1 of the sport's fewer African-American coaches.

At the time, Freeman told ESPN sideline newsman Molly McGrath helium doesn't privation his accomplishments to 'take distant from the team.'

'It is an grant and I anticipation each coaches - minorities, black, Asian, white, it doesn't matter, large radical - proceed to get opportunities to pb young men similar this,' helium said connected the tract after the Orange Bowl triumph earlier this month.

Fans rapidly took to X to some slam ESPN and hail Freeman for his effect to the enactment of questioning, with 1 writing: 'What a disgusting web [ESPN] has become. Good connected manager Freeman for shutting down your 'reporter.''

Another added: 'Why does ESPN effort to marque everything astir contention oregon gender? Kudos to Marcus Freeman for interrupting the signifier of the reporter.'

Meanwhile, Outkick's Clay Travis threw substance connected the occurrence by posting: 'Notre Dame conscionable won its biggest crippled since 1988. How does @espn react? By focusing connected 1 fractional of Marcus Freeman's race.

'Freeman perfectly crushes his reply and says helium hopes each coaches careless of contention get large opportunities similar helium did.'

But those views don't correspond each shot fans, galore of whom are excited to spot a achromatic manager yet get the accidental to pb a squad connected the biggest stage.

'We can't disregard the societal value of Marcus Freeman Notre Dame Fighting Irish HC 1st achromatic HC successful a natty crippled starring a [predominantly achromatic institution],' erstwhile Tennessee antiaircraft backmost Tommy Sims wrote connected X.

'The crippled volition beryllium played connected MLK DAY IN THE ATL,' helium continued. 'Poetic justness Karma divine involution oregon axenic luck Big ace successful da ceiling No DEI oregon CRT #qualified.'