Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman delivered the perfect response to a race-baiting question from ESPN’s Molly McGrath after Freeman’s team advanced to the national championship game for the first time in over a decade.
Freeman helped make team history this week when the Fighting Irish toppled Penn State in the Orange Bowl, 27-24., sending them to the Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday.
But instead of focusing on the historic game, ESPN’s McGrath was more interested in race and asked Freeman what he thought of being the first black head coach to reach a title game, according to Fox News.
Freeman, who has been repeatedly asked the question, was not interested in discussing racial issues and expertly diverted McGrath back to what she was supposed to be talking about.
“You know, I’ve said this before: I don’t ever want to take attention away from the team. It is an honor, and I hope all coaches — minorities, Black, Asian, White, it doesn’t matter — great people continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this,” Freeman said.
“But this ain’t about me, this is about us. And we’re going to celebrate what we’ve done because it’s something special,” he added.
Freeman earned much praise for redirecting McGrath’s race-baiting back to football.
Former NFL star Brett Favre, for one, praised Freeman for the TV hit.
“Terrible question but great response by Notre Dame head coach,” Favre said. “Sports should bring people together, not separate.”
Terrible question but great response by Notre Dame head coach.
— Brett Favre (@BrettFavre) January 10, 2025
Sports should bring people together not separate. pic.twitter.com/odzoVsmK7w
Favre was hardly alone. Many on social media chimed in with praise for the coach.
I’m such a Marcus Freeman fan. Unreal answer. pic.twitter.com/U3zD5DIHRm
— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) January 10, 2025
Notre Dame just won its biggest game since 1988. How does @espn react? By focusing on one half of Marcus Freeman’s race. Freeman absolutely crushes his answer and says he hopes all coaches regardless of race get great opportunities like he did. pic.twitter.com/GL3DL6lzB6
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 10, 2025
ESPN and all the race baiters keep the narrative alive. He’s 100% right, all coaches that are good, should get opportunities! It should be on merit, not skin pigment.
— SIG (@HillBillyGreek1) January 10, 2025
It’s actually an insult to those of color when they focus on it like this, as if they aren’t good enough so…
Yes @espn , because you have shallow and superficial people working for you,and you live life from a satanic point of view, those are the things you will focus on. But when you live life from a Kingdom of God centered perspective, you get the answer Coach Freeman offered.
— Steven Smith (@StevenS12400) January 10, 2025
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