The past few days have been quite eventful for the Bears in their search for a new head coach. They made a big impression by hosting former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and even explored the possibility of trading for the Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. The Bears are casting a wide net this hiring cycle, which is a refreshing change. They have about 20 candidates on their list and have already completed more than half of the interviews. However, most of these have been done virtually, except for the interviews with Ron Rivera and Mike McCarthy.
A few weeks ago, it was reported that the Bears showed significant interest in interviewing Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. Freeman had been silent on the matter but finally addressed it on Saturday morning, ahead of Notre Dame's National Championship game against Ohio State. Here’s what he said about the Bears reported interest:
“The reality is, with team success comes individual recognition. To hear that the Bears have interest, it’s humbling. It’s the NFL. It’s also a reminder that with team success comes individual success. I have put zero thought into coaching in the NFL. All my attention has just been getting this team prepared.”
Freeman is a long shot.
Freeman, who signed a contract extension with Notre Dame at the end of 2024, seems committed to staying in South Bend for the foreseeable future. But for someone who claims they've never considered coaching at the NFL level, it seems a bit far-fetched—but I suppose it could be true. However, he didn’t rule out the possibility of interviewing for the Bears. We'll have to wait and see what unfolds after the championship game.
