What NIU Coach Gave Notre Dame Football Player Marcus Freeman After Stunning Surprise

If Notre Dame football’s 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois last Saturday was shocking, a development after the game may be even more so. Huskies head coach Thomas Hammock offered to tell Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman the tactics that led to the upset.

Hammock explained the reasoning behind his generosity, via Pardon My Take.

“We’ve talked on the phone a couple times and exchanged messages. This was the first time I’ve met him,” Hammock said. “Obviously, I have a lot of respect for him as a head coach and I want him to succeed for obvious reasons. Just because we’ve been competitive doesn’t mean we can’t help each other or try to help each other get better.”

Since Northern Illinois is in the MAC and Notre Dame is an independent, the two coaches don’t have to worry about giving each other information. However, it’s still nice of Hammock to go out of his way to help Freeman.

Will Will Hammock’s intelligence help Freeman and the Irish move forward?

Notre Dame football has little margin for error going forward

Hammock’s selfless act could be the difference for Freeman and the Irish, who play in seven Power Four programs, including two ranked teams in the future. Their loss to the Huskies is detrimental to their College Football Playoff resume, so they’ll have to be nearly flawless the rest of the way to secure a spot.

“Sometimes when you become a head coach, you don’t have a lot of people to lean on because nobody’s going through what you’re going through,” Hammock continued. “Even though I don’t understand what he’s going through, I have an idea of ​​some of the things he’s going through. So if I can help him and help him achieve the goals that he wants to achieve, that’s what it’s all about, moving things forward.”

As a MAC coach, Hammock isn’t used to the same level of pressure as Freeman, as Notre Dame is one of the most storied programs in the history of the sport. The Irish, who were favored to win by 28 points at home, should be one of the best teams in the country. Northern Illinois, however, is usually a secondary consideration.

The loss dropped Notre Dame’s chances of scoring a CFP goal from 75 percent to 25 percent, according to Sports Illustrated. The Irish entered the tournament ranked fifth in the AP poll, dropping 13 spots the following week. The Huskies, meanwhile, climbed to 25th.