Marcus Freeman ended speculation surrounding his future on Monday morning, December 29, 2025, with a post on his X account stating, “2026…run it back. Go Irish ☘️.” The post confirmed that Freeman will remain Notre Dame’s head coach, shutting down any possibility of him interviewing for the New York Giants’ vacant head coaching position during the upcoming NFL hiring cycle.
- Marcus Freeman confirmed he will remain Notre Dame’s head coach after signing a restructured contract that includes a pay raise and an extension through the 2031 season.
- Freeman’s decision removes the only college coach drawing serious NFL interest from the New York Giants’ head coaching search.
- The Giants are expected to focus on NFL-experienced, CEO-style head coaching candidates as their search moves forward.
Contract Extension Details and Freeman’s NFL Interest
SI.com’s Pat Forde reported that Freeman’s decision included a restructured contract with Notre Dame that places the 39-year-old’s compensation in the top tier of college football coaches. The deal also adds one year to the original six-year contract Freeman signed last year, extending his agreement through the 2031 season. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported that the university provided Freeman with an enhanced contract as part of the decision.
Yahoo Sports later reported that Freeman informed two NFL teams—the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans—that he planned to remain at Notre Dame after agreeing to the revised deal. At that time, the Giants and Titans were the only franchises with confirmed head coaching vacancies, though others were expected to open by the following Monday.
Freeman had been widely viewed as a potential top candidate for the Giants’ job, according to USA Today’s Art Stapleton. However, the Giants’ coaching search, led by general manager Joe Schoen, has not disclosed which candidates were formally vetted. SNY Giants insider Connor Hughes previously wrote that the main issue surrounding Freeman was whether he was willing to leave Notre Dame, not whether the Giants were interested.
Everything I hear about Marcus Freeman & the #Giants doesn’t center around whether or not New York wants him, but if he’s willing to leave Notre Dame.
I think he’d be a home run hire & exactly what they are looking for as a culture builder. Wouldn’t rule out Kafka returning as… https://t.co/YJLsKQZyYJ
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) December 21, 2025
Freeman led Notre Dame to a 14–2 record last season and a 10–2 record this year, with both losses decided by a combined four points. He has never coached in the NFL, and Yahoo Sports reports that a transition would have required time to adjust to salary cap rules, collective bargaining agreement restrictions, and the process of building an NFL coaching staff. His decision also comes as Notre Dame is now guaranteed a College Football Playoff spot if it finishes ranked in the top 12.
Giants’ Coaching Search Continues Without Freeman
With Freeman no longer a possibility, the Giants will continue their head coaching search. The organization is not expected to retain interim head coach Mike Kafka as the permanent replacement after he took over for Brian Daboll, who was fired following the Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears. Kafka is expected to receive an interview if he wants one.
Reported candidates with NFL experience include Mike McCarthy, Lou Anarumo, Jeff Hafley, Chris Shula, Steve Spagnuolo, Klint Kubiak, and Kliff Kingsbury. The Giants may also monitor situations involving John Harbaugh in Baltimore and Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh once the regular season concludes.
As those long-term decisions continue, the Giants are also preparing for their Week 18 home game against the Dallas Cowboys, a matchup that has seen noticeable betting movement.
At DraftKings, Dallas opened as a 4.5-point favorite, with the total set at 51.5 points. The Cowboys were listed at -218 on the moneyline, while the Giants were priced at +180. FanDuel showed more pronounced movement, with the spread shifting from Cowboys -5.5 at open to -3.5. The moneyline moved from Cowboys -290 and Giants +235 to Cowboys -188 and Giants +158, and the total dropped from 52.5 to 51.5.
BetMGM listed the Cowboys at -3.5 with a 51.5 total, while PointsBet also showed Dallas -3.5 with the total holding at 51.5. Across major sportsbooks, the consensus settled between Cowboys -3.5 and -4.5.
Injury Updates and Late-Season Momentum for New York
Injury reports also factored into market movement. Giants safety Jevón Holland left Sunday’s game after injuring his knee while covering the opening kickoff of the second half. Kafka described Holland as day-to-day and said the injury was not expected to extend deep into the offseason.
“I don’t have the full story yet,” Kafka said. “I think we would know if it was really, really bad.”
Other Giants players who missed practice due to injury or illness included Theo Johnson, Jalin Hyatt, Wan’Dale Robinson, Abdul Carter, and Evan Neal. On the Cowboys’ side, injury reports included CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, and Ryan Flournoy.
Despite being eliminated from playoff contention, both teams are expected to play their healthy starters. The Giants enter the finale after snapping a 13-game road losing streak with a win in Las Vegas, marking their first winning plane ride home in 448 days. Kafka rewarded players with an extra day off following the victory.
“You can hear the guys talking about the game and the plays people were making,” Kafka said. “It was a cool atmosphere. You kind of walked around the plane, you felt the energy. And for all three phases to play the way they did, it was great for everyone to kind of be involved in that.”
