“I want our players to see their coaches as fathers.” That’s what Marcus Freeman said, and he sees a sense of power in that! carries his ‘dad hat’ philosophy both on the field, as Notre Dame’s head coach, and in his personal life, which presents unique challenges. Yet, he understands the balance: he’s a dad first, then a coach, especially at home. Interestingly, even the fiercest college football rivalries can’t penetrate these sweet, familial challenges.
Picture this scenario: Notre Dame’s head coach opens the door expecting a package or neighbor. Instead, it’s Michigan. Not Sherrone Moore or Jim Harbaugh, but Wolverines wrestling coach Sean Bormet is all set to pitch his proposal to recruit Freeman’s son for the class of 2026.
Marcus Freeman’s son, Vinny Freeman, is not just living off his family name—he is establishing his own wrestling legacy. The Mishawaka Penn junior recently finished his season with an impressive performance, reaching a significant milestone of 100 wins in his high school career. Throughout his journey, Marcus Freeman has been a steadfast supporter, not as a coach, but as a proud father.
Now, Marcus Freeman opens up about balancing fatherhood and coaching as his son navigates through a new phase of his life on the “Next Up with Adam Breneman” show. Stepping away from actively coaching his son’s wrestling, he acknowledges his own limitations and embraces a more supportive role. “When he was younger, I was able to try to like help him, like coach him and I wrestled for a little bit and when I was younger and try to teach him things. But I was a awful wrestling coach I would say ‘get up, shoot, get off your back,’ like those are things now he would say, ‘Duh, I don’t want to be on my back’….He’s to a point now where he’s way more intelligent than me in the sport of wrestling, so I get to encourage him. I get to probably help him more than anything from the mental aspect.” Well, that mental coaching is more so seen as Vinny achieved a commendable third-place finish in the Indiana state finals at 175 pounds.
Despite falling short of a state title, his determination shone through. He secured his 100th career victory in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 12-9 decision. Although he faced a setback in the semifinals against Center Grove’s Julian Weems, who won with a 22-4 technical fall, Vinny didn’t let it discourage him.
So Freeman proudly added, “He was in the state championships here in Indiana a couple of weeks ago, and he lost in the semi-finals. The greatest thing about it was that in an hour, he had to wrestle for third. You don’t have time to dwell on what just happened—you have to get refocused for the next opportunity.” Vinny made a strong comeback, defeating Delta’s Kaeb Stebbins with a dominant 10-2 major decision to secure third place. Marcus Freeman has instilled in his son the importance of resilience—rather than dwelling on losses, Vinny learns from them, resets, and returns stronger. This is the invaluable role that fathers play.
Now that Michigan and other programs are interested in him, even that doesn’t scare Freeman, as he says, “I like to be his dad when we’re going through college experience. You know it’s unique for me being on the other side listening to some other coaches just try to sell my son on why he should choose our school. I don’t try to interject too much. If they ask me a question, I’ll say a couple of things, but I mostly listen.” Already Freeman’s hands-on recruiting approach is making waves in ND. His team looks optimistic with No.12 rank in the 2025 class, and 2026 is also looking polished with No.11 rank. One can only imagine how much ‘selling’ Freeman would have done for recruiting these kids, and now look how the tables have turned. He is sure proudly donning the ‘dad hat’ from the other side.
He adds further to it, saying, “At the end of the day, I want for my son the same thing I want for these guys—to be developed, to play against the best of the best, to wrestle against the best of the best, but also to get an education that’s going to help him long after wrestling.” Similar to football, the Big Ten’s wrestling dominance is clear, with eight teams in the top 20 rankings—Michigan among them. As Vinny Freeman prepares for his senior year, the pressure intensifies.
His continued dominance might turn the Freeman kitchen into a Midwest recruiting battleground. But Marcus Freeman isn’t sweating it, as he’s just looking for the best fit for his son. But wrestling is not the only destination for Vinny Freeman!
Vinny Freeman’s dual sports skills
While Vinny Freeman’s current focus is wrestling, his football abilities shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s not only a formidable competitor on the mat but also a promising Division I prospect as a defensive back. Last season, as the lone returning starter on Penn High School’s defense, he tallied over 36 tackles as a sophomore. A standout moment was his crucial interception against South Bend St. Joseph in the second quarter, sparking a commanding 27-0 victory.
Vinny Freeman excels in both football and wrestling. Could he follow in the footsteps of Ben Kueter, the Iowa State athlete who successfully balanced both sports? This dual pursuit demands immense dedication. If Vinny leans towards wrestling, Michigan presents a compelling option. However, if football remains in his sights, Notre Dame could still be in contention.
Either way, this recruiting war isn’t some behind-the-scenes chess match—it’s happening right at Marcus Freeman’s dinner table. The competition for Vinny is intensifying as coaches present their cases. He has many options, be it the mat, the gridiron, or both.
The post Recruited Hard by Michigan, Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman Gets Real on Wearing the ‘Dad Hat’ for His NCAA Athlete Son appeared first on EssentiallySports.