The crossover between Notre Dame alumni and Bears fans could turn Marcus Freeman into the wild card who fills an NFL coaching vacancy.

The Bears reportedly want to interview Freeman, who will coach Notre Dame against Ohio State on Jan. 20 in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

NFL Network said it is unlikely that Freeman would entertain NFL overtures while preparing for that championship game. The report described how the Bears have “done extensive research for months on Marcus Freeman.”

Freeman, 39, is 33-9 as Notre Dame’s head coach since taking over for Brian Kelly during bowl season in 2021.

He started his third full season with a loss to Northern Illinois and could end it with a 15th straight win, a national title and a job of his own in Illinois.

Notre Dame claims to have more than 20,000 alumni living in the greater Chicago area. Big Ten headquarters is located in Chicago and Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren is a former Big Ten commissioner who undoubtedly has ties at Notre Dame despite its ACC affiliation.

Freeman was a fifth-round draft pick as a linebacker by the Bears in 2009. He was waived before playing in a game and bounced around with the Bills and Texans before retiring and getting into coaching.

The Bears lost one of their candidates Sunday when Mike Vrabel was hired to fill the Patriots’ vacancy. The job is considered desirable because 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams is in place as a franchise quarterback.

The Bears have confirmed interviews with seven candidates and put in additional requests. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are both in the mix, as are former Super Bowl head coaches Pete Carroll and Ron Rivera (a former Bear).

Notre Dame is a 9.5-point underdog to Ohio State.