Brett Favre praises Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman for response to ESPN’s ‘terrible’ question on race

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Notre Dame is on its way to making history after defeating Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night to advance to its first national championship game since the 2012 season, with the hopes of winning its first title in nearly 40 years. 

However, after the Fighting Irish’s victory, head coach Marcus Freeman was asked by ESPN reporter  Molly McGrath how much the win meant as it relates to him becoming the first Black head coach to reach a title game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 9, 2025. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Freeman, who fielded similar questions in the lead up to this game, refocused the conversation on his team and the significance of their win. 

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"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."

He continued, "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." 

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and the team sing to fans after winning the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game against Penn State on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Some on social media took issue with the question. Among those critics was NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre, who praised Freeman for his response. 

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