Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman has agreed to a long-term extension that will make him among the highest-paid coaches in the country, a Notre Dame official confirmed to ESPN on Sunday. It is believed to be a four-year extension that secures him for six more years in South Bend, according to a source. Freeman had two years remaining on his current deal.

“I am grateful for the support of the Board of Trustees, led by John Veihmeyer, President Fr. Bob Dowd, C.S.C., and Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua,” Freeman said in a prepared statement. “The investment they continue to pour into our program is invaluable to our student-athletes and staff. This commitment goes well beyond myself, as they are dedicated to ensuring all aspects of our program are competitive within the upper echelon of college football.”

Freeman, who is 30-9 as a head coach and in his third season with the Irish, led No. 7 Notre Dame to a first-round home College Football Playoff game against No. 10 Indiana on Friday. Freeman rallied the Irish to 10 straight wins following the stunning Sept. 7 home loss to Northern Illinois and enters the inaugural 12-team playoff with an 11-1 record.

It’s the third time Notre Dame has qualified for the CFP (2018, 2020), but the first under Freeman. Notre Dame has never played a game at Notre Dame Stadium on a Friday. The winner will face No. 2 Georgia on Jan. 1, 2025 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Notre Dame promoted Freeman from defensive coordinator to head coach in 2021 after Brian Kelly left to become LSU’s head coach. In 2022, Freeman’s first season as a head coach, the Irish finished 9-4 with a win against South Carolina in the Gator Bowl. Last year, Notre Dame finished 10-3 with a win against Oregon State in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl. He became the third Notre Dame head coach to post a 10-win season in each of his first two years with the program.

Prior to coming to Notre Dame, Freeman spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati.