ATLANTA (Aug. 29, 2023) - Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. today announced that Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Presented by PNC Bank.

The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award's three pillars of scholarship, leadership, and integrity.

Freeman led the Irish to their first win of the season with a dominating 42-3 victory over Navy at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday. The Irish scored 42 consecutive points to start the game thanks to a dominating defense that held Navy to just 169 total yards. In his Notre Dame debut, graduate transfer quarterback Sam Hartman completed 19 of 23 passes for 251 yards and four touchdowns. The four passing touchdowns match Ron Powlus (1994) and Jack Coan (2021) for the most by an Irish quarterback in his first game with the team. Two of Hartman's scoring tosses were caught by freshman Jaden Greathouse, including a 35-yard strike on the rookie's first career catch.

"This was a dominating win for coach Freeman and the Irish to begin the 2023 season," said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "Coach Dodd loved defensive football, and Freeman already had the defensive unit in mid-season form, holding Navy's offense to just three points and 169 yards."

Freeman is now in his second full season as head coach at Notre Dame after serving as defensive coordinator for the Irish during the 2021 campaign. In his first season at the helm in 2022, he led Notre Dame to a 9-4 mark, including wins over four ranked teams and a Gator Bowl victory over South Carolina.

Prior to his arrival in South Bend, Freeman spent the previous four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati, where he was named the 2020 247Sports.com Defensive Coordinator of the Year and a 2020 Broyles Award Finalist. Freeman began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State and has also previously served as an assistant coach at Purdue University and Kent State University.

Off the field, Freeman's players have had continuous success in the classroom during his tenure, recording a 989 Academic Progress Rate and an 89 Graduation Success Rate during the 2022 season.
 
In the community, coach Freeman and his players team up with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Michiana every Friday before home games to deliver meals to families with children receiving care at Beacon Children's Hospital.

"Coach Freeman is an excellent choice to be nominated for this honor due to his continued commitment to his student-athletes on and off the field, in addition to his involvement in the community" said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and president, Gary Stokan. "After only his second year at the helm, he's already making his mark in South Bend. We're certainly looking forward to seeing where he's able to take this storied program in the years to come."

The Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank – along with the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Award – celebrates the head coach of a FBS team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity.

A panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2023 season. The winner of the 2023 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.