The Chicago Bears are doing their homework and trying to interview as many potential head coaches as possible to ensure that they hire the right person this time. The interviews they've conducted have ranged from well-established coaches like Pete Carroll and Mike McCarthy to potential up-and-coming guys like Joe Brady and Ben Johnson.
The Bears have also made it known that they're not above interviewing college football coaches either, requesting interviews with Matt Campbell and Marcus Freeman. Freeman's Irish will be partaking in the National Championship Game on Monday night, making him an attractive candidate given what he's accomplished in South Bend.
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According to Tom Pelissero, the Bears put in an interview request for Freeman last week. With Freeman trying to get his team ready for the National Championship Game, however, expecting Freeman to entertain a head coaching job in the NFL is unlikely, as he has a more important task at hand.
The Fighting Irish participated in media day on Saturday (two days before the National Championship Game) and Freeman was asked about his interest in being a head coach in the NFL.
"I have put zero thought into coaching in the NFL," Freeman said. "All my attention has just been getting [Notre Dame] prepared [for the National Championship Game].”
Marcus Freeman says he's "put zero thought" in being an NFL head coach
No one can really blame Freeman for not having a potential NFL head coaching job on his mind right now. The Fighting Irish are prepping to play in their first national title game since the 2012 season when they were blown out by Alabama (though it's worth noting that appearance was later vacated) and Notre Dame hasn't won a national title since the 1988 season.
That being said, this is the time for Freeman to consider a jump to the NFL if that's something he's interested in. His stock is sky-high right now and who's to say that will continue after this year.
The Bears have done their due diligence in trying to find the right head coach and it's critical that they do this time around. They have the talent on their roster to be competitive in 2025 and beyond but now it's about finding the right fit at head coach who can bring out the best in Caleb Williams and continue to build the team around the young quarterback.
If the Bears are hoping that Freeman is that guy, it doesn't sound like he's ready to fill that void quite yet.