Marcus Freeman's Salary for Notre Dame's Run to Championship Game Revealed

As a private institution, Notre Dame doesn’t release the salary information of its head coaches.

Freeman first came to Notre Dame to take over the defensive coordinator job under Brian Kelly in 2021. When Kelly left for LSU, the Fighting Irish promoted Freeman to permanent head coach before its bowl game that year.

Freeman signed a contract extension in December of 2024 amid ND’s run in the College Football Playoff. The Irish advanced to the national championship, and were defeated by the Ohio State Buckeyes 34-23.

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Per tax documents acquired by Matt Fortuna, Freeman made $8.137 million during the 2024 campaign.

In December, Freeman signed another “enhanced” contract extension with Notre Dame despite the program missing the CFP, though the details of the contract have not been made public. The new number would be expected to eclipse the $8.137 million number by a wide margin.

The Irish needed to give Freeman the contract extension in December. He’s been worth every penny the school has given him since he became head coach. ND came close to winning the title in 2024, and the team appears to be in good shape to make a run for the national title in the upcoming season.

NFL teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants were reportedly interested in Freeman early in the offseason, but Freeman wisely decided to stay in college football.

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua plans to keep Freeman in the “top tier” of college football coaches.

“We feel blessed that he’s our coach,” Bevacqua said in December, via ESPN. “I make sure that he knows that he will be where he deserves to be, and that is at the top, top, top tier of college football coaches when it comes to compensation every year.”

Per CBS Sports, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti is the highest-paid coach in the sport, making $13.2 million per year. LSU’s Lane Kiffin and Georgia’s Kirby Smart make $13 million per season.

For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 7:09 PM.