When soccer fans think of the English Premier League, they think of Manchester United; in Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees come to mind. When they think of college football, it is Notre Dame. Alabama may have more titles and Ohio State may have more wins, but Notre Dame is the one program with fans in every region in a sport where loyalties are usually regional or tied to alumni. It is also the only school with a national broadcast network televising its home games, and it draws strong ratings whenever it appears. Academically, it stands shoulder to shoulder with the Ivy League.
The head coach of this venerable institution is Marcus Freeman. At thirty-nine, he is one of the youngest coaches in the college game, and in only his third season he led Notre Dame to the championship game in January, 2025.
Freeman is also half Korean. His mother, Chong, met his father, an Air Force officer, while he was stationed in South Korea. After they married, she moved to the United States in 1986, and Freeman was born soon after. He credits her with instilling mindful manners and tireless service. Chong worked multiple jobs and still cooked an American dinner for the family and a separate Korean meal for herself every evening. Freeman mentioned in an interview that he would sometimes join her and share a few Korean dishes.
He openly identifies as half Korean. When people hail his rise as a young Black head coach, he reminds them he is also half Korean. He counts escorting his mother to a White House state dinner honoring South Korea among his proudest moments. Freeman learned taekwondo and loves Korean food, proudly noting that his children do too, always eating rice and seaweed.
That heritage of hard work and respect complements the discipline he learned from his Air Force father, shaping a leader who is unfailingly courteous in public and uncompromising in preparation. Freeman drew inspiration from another half-Korean, half-Black player, Hines Ward, the Super Bowl XL MVP, believing that if Ward could do it, he could too.
As a high school player in Ohio he became a star through effort and humility. At Ohio State he was an All-Big Ten linebacker known for his instinct and intelligence. Drafted into the NFL, he saw his playing career cut short after a year when doctors discovered an enlarged heart.
Freeman immediately turned to coaching, teaching young men and rising through the ranks as a capable linebackers coach and then a defensive coordinator. In 2021 Notre Dame hired him as the head coach at age thirty-five, trusting that his work ethic and respectful manner would fuel recruiting and culture building for the long term. He has repaid that trust with thirty-three wins in three seasons.
As of early November 2025, his fourth season has proven another success, with his squad ranked tenth in the nation and poised to reach the 12-team (out of 136 teams) playoff once again in December. As long as he remains at the helm, Notre Dame’s trajectory remains bright.
For Marcus Freeman, his success traces back to his mother’s Korean ethos of courtesy, grit, hard work, and care for others.
