There’s a history of Cincinnati influence in South Bend, including Kelly, who spent three seasons with the Bearcats before taking the Notre Dame job. A year before Kelly poached Freeman, he hired Bearcats defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, a Cincinnati alum who was a teammate of Freeman’s at Wayne High School outside of Dayton.

Is Marcus Freeman a candidate for the Chicago Bears opening? Here's everything to know about the NFL rumors surrounding Notre Dame's head coach:

FOX Sports' Michael Cohen explains how Marcus Freeman constructed Notre Dame's roster and how the Fighting Irish are winning at such an elite level without a handful of five-star prospects.

Entering the season, Freeman was essentially nowhere to be found on national lists. What a change he has made for both the Irish and himself.