At this point, there is almost nothing Marcus Freeman can do wrong in the eyes of Notre Dame fans.
Sure, it hasn’t reached its ultimate goal of winning a national championship for the first time since 1988, but Freeman has Notre Dame operating on a level it hasn’t in more than 30 years.
Fresh off a 49-10 victory over Purdue this past weekend, that wasn’t as close the final score indicates, the sky appears to be the limit for Notre Dame in 2026.
That may give Freeman a pass to make about any coaching decision he wants with the Fighting Irish faithful, but it doesn’t keep him safe from criticism in his own home.
Freeman’s wife Joanna can be seen with the Notre Dame head coach before and after just about every game, but according to him, he makes one decision that she always disagrees with.
Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame Going For It on Fourth Down
Notre Dame hasn’t played a particularly close game a month into the 2026 season, with a 27-10 win over Michigan State being the closest in terms of a final score.
In those four games, Notre Dame has gone for it on fourth down six times, converting four.
And each time it has done so, Freeman says Joanna has disagreed with his decision.
During Monday’s press conference to start off North Carolina week, Freeman was asked about his decisions to go for it on fourth down, and the numbers behind doing so.
He stated that Joanna hates when he makes the call to attempt to convert a fourth down.
“Every single time,” Freeman said of his wife. “Whether we make it or not.”
Nick Shepkowski’s Quick Thoughts
I think its safe to say that Mrs. Freeman very much understands what she’s watching in this particular Notre Dame football team.
No, I don’t think there a case that you should always punt or attempt a field goal on fourth down, but if any team was ever built to withstand gaining field position and giving the ball away, its this Fighting Irish outfit.
The defense as a whole is clearly the backbone of the team, holding opponents to just 33 points through four games.
It’s hard to argue against putting a game more in the hands of the defense, when you have that unit playing at the level it is.
However, what makes a great defense even better?
Requiring it to do even less.
That’s what happens when Freeman sends the offense out of fourth down, specifically after it converts when called upon, which it has done in four of six tries this season.
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