Marcus Freeman’s pay is one of the few coaching salaries in the sport that has to be pieced together, because Notre Dame is a private university and does not release contracts. What is known: he signed a six year deal when he was hired in December 2021, a four year extension at more than $9 million a year in December 2024, and a restructured agreement in December 2025 that added a year (through 2031) and put his compensation in the top tier of college coaches after he turned down NFL interest. The best public estimate for his 2026 pay is between $11 million and $12 million.
| Date | Deal | What is known |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 2021 | Hired | Six year contract, terms undisclosed. Tax filings later showed he earned about $6.7 million in his first full year (2022), up from $2.28 million as defensive coordinator |
| 2024 | Reported pay | $6,687,754 per the USA Today database, which for private schools relies on filings and reporting |
| Dec. 16, 2024 | Four year extension | More than $9 million a year, signed before the playoff run to the title game |
| Dec. 29, 2025 | Restructured through 2031 | One year added; compensation described as top tier by sources to SI and ESPN. One breakdown circulated at the time put the guaranteed total from 2026 to 2031 near $70.8 million with a $3 million signing bonus, which Notre Dame has not confirmed |
| Buyout | Not public | Reported structure: Notre Dame owes the remaining guaranteed money if it fires him without cause; he owes a declining amount if he leaves early |
Why the NFL Matters to the Number
Freeman’s market was set by the NFL, not by other colleges. He was a candidate for the Giants and at least one other franchise in December 2025 and told both he was staying on the same Monday he announced the new deal. That is the lever a coach at a private school has: the league does not publish his contract, so the only way to see his value is what someone else offers. A year earlier the $9 million plus extension came the week before the playoff, when the same rumors were building.
How It Compares
Kirby Smart (about $13.3 million) and Lane Kiffin ($13 million at LSU) sit at the top of the public list, with Dabo Swinney at $11.5 million and Ryan Day and Lincoln Riley in the same range. If the $11 to 12 million estimate is right, Freeman is in that second group, which is where a coach with a title game trip, a Bear Bryant Award and a 43 and 12 record belongs. The national list, with the caveat that Notre Dame’s number is an estimate, is on college football coaching salaries. Kiffin’s deal for comparison: Lane Kiffin salary.
The Bottom Line
Marcus Freeman is paid in the top tier of college coaches, most likely $11 million to $12 million a year, on a restructured contract through 2031 that he signed in December 2025 after turning down NFL interest. The exact figures are not public because Notre Dame is private; the $6.7 million he earned in 2022 and 2024 and the $9 million plus 2024 extension are the fixed points. His career is on Marcus Freeman.