Before the New York Giants hired John Harbaugh as the franchise’s 21st head coach, there was a lot of buzz -- probably more one-sided than not -- around Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman being the next guy.
Harbaugh is an unreal hire for the Giants. Don't get it twisted. He has a shot at turning things around for Big Blue, but Freeman could’ve been a slam-dunk hire, too. There was definitely some fan hesitation about bringing in another would-be first-time NFL coach -- it’s failed the G-Men spectacularly in recent years -- but I was in the camp that he'd be electric. And it appears the Dayton, OH native felt the same, or at least a little bit, especially with the 2026 Draft in mind.
Appearing on the UP & Adams show with Kay Adams, Freeman made it very clear that he had interest in the Giants’ HC opening, if not for one Jeremiyah Love-sized reason. The 40-year-old shared that the possibility of drafting his former superstar running back was one of the most intriguing parts of the job:
Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman says the possibility of drafting RB Jeremiyah Love was "the intriguing part" of the Giants HC job opening 👀@Marcus_Freeman1 | @JeremiyahLove | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/YlBbXJVKSA
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 14, 2026
Marcus Freeman found one thing to Love about Giants HC opening
Love is widely considered one of, if not the best, draft prospects of the incoming class. The All-American and 2025 third-place Heisman Trophy Award finisher enjoyed three successful seasons (two as the undisputed No. 1 back) under Freeman in South Bend.
He finished his college career rushing for 2,882 yards and 36 touchdowns on a might-need-to-do-a-double-take 6.7 yards per carry. He added 594 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 63 catches. It's no wonder he's been compared to star backs like Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Who wouldn't love to work with that kind of talent?
There isn’t much Love can’t do with the ball in his hands. The 20-year-old is a three-down, scheme-independent demon who, alongside Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr., can stay fresh and fully tap into that home-run ability.
Even with all of that coming out of the backfield, Freeman still wasn't sold on becoming the next head coach of the Giants.
Despite strong interest from the front office -- and yours truly -- Freeman never actually interviewed for the opening. He officially withdrew his name from consideration in late December to remain at Notre Dame for the 2026 season after negotiating a restructured contract that places him in the “top tier” of college coaching salaries.
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