Notre Dame Responds to Allegations Against Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame has officially commented on the allegations surrounding head football coach Marcus Freeman, who has been accused of battery by a high school wrestling coach in Indiana.
The South Bend Tribunebroke the news Sunday that Freeman was involved in some kind of altercation with Chris Fleeger, an assistant wrestling coach at New Prairie High School, during a tournament at Mishawaka High School in South Bend last Saturday, Jan. 3.
Fleeger filed a police report against Freeman last week. The Mishawaka Police Department has reportedly completed its investigation and now the matter is in the hands of the prosecutors office, who must decide if charges will be filed against the 40-year-old coach.
Notre Dame calls allegations 'unfounded'
The South Bend Tribune report says the confrontation between Fleeger and Freeman occurred following a wrestling match involving Freeman's son Vinny, a senior at Penn High School.
"As Marcus Freeman walked through the doorway into the hallway, physical contact allegedly occurred between Marcus Freeman and Fleeger, but police did not disclose the extent of the alleged contact," the Tribune said. "Once in the hallway, Fleeger and Marcus Freeman’s wife, Joanna, engaged in a shouting match before local law enforcement and Mishawaka school officials separated the two groups."
In a statement released to Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger, Notre Dame said "at no point" did Freeman engage physically with Fleeger and argued that video evidence "fully exonerates" the Fighting Irish leader.
"Vinny Freeman, head coach Marcus Freeman's son, was verbally accosted during and after his wrestling match by a local wrestling coach," the Notre Dame statement reads. "Marcus and Joanna Freeman intervened and removed Vinny from the situation. At no point did Coach Freeman physically engage with anyone.
"We believe that the police report, which includes video evidence, fully exonerates Coach Freeman and makes clear these accusations are totally unfounded."
Notre Dame statement on a story today from the South Bend Tribune about allegations against coach Marcus Freeman pic.twitter.com/TluHwKXtOf
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 11, 2026
Freeman still fielding NFL attention
Freeman's success at Notre Dame, which includes a 43-12 overall record and one trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship, has led to significant interest from NFL teams.
Late last month, Freeman announced he would be staying at ND and reportedly agreed to an "enhanced" contract with the school. However, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Sunday that NFL teams have "basically ignored" his decision and are continuing to pursue him.
These teams who viewed him highly still believe there is a chance that he comes to the NFL," Rapoport said. "They still believe that he's a top-tier candidate."
Notre Dame went 10-2 in 2025, finishing the season on a 10-game winning streak after losses to Miami and Texas A&M. The Irish were the first team left out of the College Football Playoff.