Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman Wins Dodd Trophy as Coach of the Year Following 12-Win Season

Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman has won the Dodd Trophy as national coach of the year after leading the Fighting Irish to a 12-1 record this fall.

The No. 7 seeded Irish will play No. 2 seeded Georgia in Wednesday’s Sugar Bowl, which also represents a quarterfinal matchup in the College Football Playoffs.

Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation announced the award on Tuesday. It honors success on the field, as well as scholarship, leadership and integrity.

“Being named The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year is very humbling as Coach Dodd is such a legend in our sport,” Freeman said in a statement. “I am accepting this award on behalf of our entire program as it is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our players, coaches and support staff.

“At Notre Dame, we emphasize some of the same pillars that Coach Dodd did: Scholarship, Leadership and Integrity. I am proud of the way the men and women in our program embody those values.”

First-year coaches and those who won the Dodd Trophy in the prior two years are not eligible for the award.

In addition to the No. 7 seed, the Fighting Irish finished No. 5 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. Notre Dame ranks even higher in the AP and Coaches polls at No. 3 overall.

Freeman is in his third season at Notre Dame. He boasts a 31-9 overall record. That includes 12 wins over ranked opponents, the most by a Fighting Irish head coach in their first three seasons at the helm.

Freeman is the second Notre Dame head coach to win The Dodd Trophy. Former coach Brian Kelly won the award in 2018.

“Coach Freeman has been on our radar all season, as he was on our preseason and midseason watch lists,” Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation chairman Jim Terry said in a statement. “It’s evident both on and off the field that he has an unwavering commitment to Notre Dame and his student-athletes.

“Coach Freeman embodies everything that this award stands for with his dedication to scholarship, leadership and integrity, so it’s truly an honor to name him as this year’s recipient of the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year.”