The Notre Dame student government association held a student-only "Leadership, Family and Football" lecture with the University's Dick Corbett head football coach Marcus Freeman and James E. Rohr vice president and director of athletics Pete Bevacqua.
The event took place Wednesday evening in DeBartolo Hall, where Bevacqua asked Freeman a series of questions about his life to inform students on how to be successful. Bevacqua began with asking Freeman about the mentors in his life and how their impact allowed him to be where he is today.
Freeman mentioned that his family and former The Ohio State University coach impacted him heavily. He described how his mother's selfless behavior allowed him to always make decisions that were the best for the team.
"You don't appreciate some of the people that are in your lives in the present, but as you get older, you look back and you're grateful for the many lessons that you observe," Freeman said.
Freeman stated that he originally never wanted to be a coach, but after finding out that his heart condition would prevent him from playing football, he learned to embrace the unpredictability of life. He mentioned relying on relationships to get through challenges and developing a passion for the game of football, in which he realized that coaching was about helping other people have success.
"I can go on and on about the unpredictable moments that have happened in my life, but you're all gonna be okay. You put your head down, you go to work and then figure it out … you rely on your faith. You rely on the people you really value and trust that time heals everything," Freeman explained.
Bevacqua then asked Freeman how a successful person like himself dealt with the losses, such as to Marshall University and Northern Illinois University (NIU).
Following Marshall University, Freeman said he realized that he didn't know how to win and promised himself that he would not lose another game.
"You have to fix your issues with urgency. You can't wait for it to get better. You have to attack it and figure it out," Freeman said.
After the NIU loss, Freeman mentioned how he drove back to Notre Dame that night and counted 40 days between the day they began practicing and the loss. He said that it took 40 days to know what it takes to win, but also 40 days to lose to a team that wasn't as good. This allowed him to realize that the problem was the team didn't know how to handle success.
From then on, Freeman reminded the team every week that they still lost to NIU and could not underestimate their opponents.
"Some of the greatest lessons you learn is through failure. It stinks, it's embarrassing, you want to be by yourself and you don't want to see anybody, but you learn so many valuable lessons," Freeman said.
Freeman also discussed what it means to lead and the importance of having relationships with those you guide.
"Leadership is gray. Leadership is being adaptable and understanding what that person or this team that you're leading needs at that moment," he said.
When recruiting high school players, Freeman always reminds them that if they choose Notre Dame then they will not only participate in football, but also a premier education.
"What we have to do is get them to understand that there is life after football, and it's going to be hard … this is a challenging place, but the result of choosing hard is a lifetime of opportunities for success," he said.
Bevacqua asked Freeman to elaborate on how he balances being a coach, a husband and a father. Freeman responded that his family is very supportive of his job and that allows him to maintain a balanced life.
"It starts by having that support, that 'Hey, I understand you got a job to do. Do it right, do it to the best of your ability, but also, when you're home, be present right when you're home,'" Freeman stated.
Freeman concluded with a discussion about faith and the importance of it on the football field, even for those who are not Catholic.
"Through all those unpredictable moments, through all those losses, there's got to be a foundation that you always can rely on. That's always going to be consistent. For me, it's my faith," Freeman said.
