Brett Favre praises Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman for answering ESPN's 'bad' race question
Notre Dame is on track to make history after defeating Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night to advance to its first national championship game since the 2012 season, hoping to win its first title in nearly 40 years.
However, after the Fighting Irish's victory, head coach Marcus Freeman was asked by ESPN reporter Molly McGrath how much the win meant as it relates to being the first Black coach to reach the team. title game.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman celebrates defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 9, 2025. (Photos by Sam Navarro-Imagn)
Freeman, who asked similar questions before the game, also focused the discussion on his team and the importance of their win.
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“You know, I've said this before, I don't want any attention on the team. It's an honor, and I hope all the coaches – young, black, Asian, white, it doesn't matter – great people continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this.”
He continued, “But this is not about me, it is about us. And we will celebrate what we have done because it is something special.”
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and the team sing to the fans after winning the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal against Penn State on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Some on social media disputed this question. Among those critics were NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre, praising Freeman for his answer.
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“A bad question but a good answer for the Notre Dame coach,” Favre wrote on the X site. “Sports should bring people together, not divide them.”
Freeman has asked similar questions about his race and the significance of his achievements since then to conquer Georgia in the Sugar Bowl last week. Each time, he has just focused on the benefits of the program.
“Thank you for being a part of this opportunity, and thank you whenever your name is mentioned for being the first, but you don't want to take away how we got to this point, and I'm talking about your team and everyone who has put in the work to get your program to this point and those who came before you,” he said at a press conference earlier this week.
“And this is not about me. This is not about one person. It takes a team, it takes a plan, and it takes a lot of people who are committed to something bigger than themselves to put your team in a position to be here. I understand that, and I'm very grateful for it,” he continued.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, left, greets a player before the Orange Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Penn State on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
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Freeman added that his success creating more opportunities for the next generation of coaches is “great,” but added that “one-person attention takes away from what really gives your program a chance to get here.”
Notre Dame will now focus on Friday night's Cotton Bowl Classic. Ohio State will play Texas and the winner will advance to the College Football Playoff national championship game against Notre Dame on Jan. 20.
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