Notre Dame is on track to make history after defeating Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night to advance to its first national championship game since the 2012 season, hoping to win its first title in nearly 40 years.
However, after the Fighting Irish’s victory, ESPN reporter Molly McGrath asked head coach Marcus Freeman how much the victory meant in terms of becoming the first black head coach to reach a title game.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on January 9, 2025. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Freeman, who answered similar questions before this game, returned the conversation to his team and the importance of their victory.
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“You know, I’ve said this before, I never want to take attention away from the team. It’s an honor, and I hope that all the coaches (minorities, black, Asian, white, it doesn’t matter) Great people continue to have opportunities to lead young people like this “.
He continued: “But this isn’t about me, it’s about us. And we’re going to celebrate what we’ve done because it’s something special.”
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and the team sing before fans after winning the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game against Penn State on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Some on social media took issue with the question. Among those critics was NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre who praised Freeman for his response.
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“Terrible question but great answer from Notre Dame head coach,” Favre wrote in a post on X. “Sports should bring people together, not separate them.”
Freeman has answered similar questions about his career and the significance of his accomplishments since defeating georgia at the Sugar Bowl last week. Each time, he has refocused attention on the program’s accomplishments.
“You’re grateful to be a part of this opportunity, and you’re grateful every time your name is mentioned for being the first, but you don’t want to downplay how we got to this point, and I’m talking about his team and everyone who worked to bring it your program to this point and those who came before you,” he said during a news conference earlier this week.
“Again, this is not about me. This is not about one person. It takes a team, it takes a program and it takes a lot of people to commit to something bigger than themselves to put your team in a position.” to be here I understand it and I am very grateful for it,” he continued.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, left, greets a player before the Orange Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Penn State on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Freeman added that his accomplishments in creating more opportunities for the future generation of coaches are “excellent,” but added that “attention to one person takes away from what really gives your program the opportunity to get here.”
Notre Dame’s attention will now be on Friday night’s Cotton Bowl Classic. Ohio State will face Texas and the winner will advance to the College Football Playoff national championship game, where they will face Notre Dame on January 20.
