Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman is under investigation following a battery allegation connected to an alleged incident at his son’s high school wrestling competition.
The alleged occurrence happened Saturday, Jan. 3 at Mishawaka High School in Indiana. New Prairie High School assistant coach Chris Fleeger submitted a police report against Freeman last week, according to the South Bend Tribune.
The police report has since been forwarded to prosecutors, and as of Sunday, no decision has been reached on whether any charges will be filed. (RELATED: UCF, Houston, UNLV, Others Get Creative With ‘No State Income Tax’ Strategy For Transfer Portal)
Per the South Bend Tribune:
“The altercation allegedly took place after Vinny Freeman’s match against Hanover Central senior Israel Sinnott, which Vinny lost. As Vinny was escorted off the mat and out of the gym by Marcus and Penn head coach Brad Harper, Fleeger allegedly began exchanging words with the group.
As Marcus Freeman walked through the doorway into the hallway, physical contact allegedly occurred between Marcus Freeman and Fleeger, but police did not disclose the extent of the alleged contact. Once in the hallway, Fleeger and Marcus Freeman’s wife, Joanna, engaged in a shouting match before local law enforcement and Mishawaka school officials separated the two groups.”
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has been investigated regarding a battery accusation from an alleged altercation at his son’s high school wrestling meet at the beginning of the year.
Notre Dame said in a statement on Sunday that video evidence “fully exonerates” Freeman. pic.twitter.com/elKrVOdxqx
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 11, 2026
Notre Dame issued a statement Sunday asserting that video footage “fully exonerates” Freeman of any wrongdoing. Vinny Freeman is the eldest of Marcus and Joanna Freeman’s six kids.
“Vinny Freeman, head coach Marcus Freeman’s son, was verbally accosted during and after his wrestling match by a local wrestling coach,” stated Notre Dame. “Marcus and Joanna Freeman intervened and removed Vinny from the situation. At no point did Coach Freeman physically engage with anyone. We believe that the police report, which includes video evidence, fully exonerates Coach Freeman and makes clear these accusations are totally unfounded.”
Freeman celebrated his 40th birthday Saturday and has just wrapped up his fifth season as head coach of Notre Dame. During his tenure with the Fighting Irish, the team has compiled a 43-12 record. In 2025, Notre Dame finished with a 10-2 mark, but was overtaken by Miami in the final College Football Playoff rankings, resulting in the Irish missing out on the postseason.
Even after Freeman publicly stated his intention to remain at Notre Dame for the 2026 season, he continues to draw attention as a possible candidate for NFL head coaching positions. A report Sunday morning from the NFL Network indicated that several NFL franchises are still considering Freeman. Currently, eight teams are searching for new head coaches.
