How Marcus Freeman, Brian Kelly and other second-year head coaches graded out in 2023
We’re two full seasons into the Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame, and there have clearly been some ups and downs.
The era started in a troubling way as the Irish began 0-3, but they’ve gone 19-5 since being upset by Marshall in Week 2 of 2022.
How does Freeman compare to some of the other head coaches that were hired in the 2023 coaching carousel?
CBS Sports graded all of those 2022-23 hires through two seasons into their current stops. How did Freeman compare to the man he replaced at Notre Dame, the man he’ll face in Week 1 of 2024, and some Irish rivals?
Let’s take a look at a handful here:
Marcus Freeman - Notre Dame
2023 Record: 10-3
Overall Record: 19-8
CBS Sports Grade: B
The Fighting Irish look to be trending in the right direction. They improved from 9-4 in Freeman’s first season to 10-3 in his second and have done well in recruiting. Unfortunately, they’ll be bringing in their third offensive coordinator in as many seasons next year as well as a new starting QB Riley Leonard.
Our Thoughts: Two years in and perhaps they haven’t gone as well as Notre Dame fans would have liked, but the ceiling in the years to come appears higher than it has been in some time at Notre Dame. Can Freeman and the Irish eliminate the mid-October no-show that has haunted them in both of his first two seasons? Can Freeman lead the Irish to the College Football Playoff in 2024? That’s the expectation in South Bend.
Brian Kelly - LSU
2023 Record: 10-3
Overall Record: 20-7
CBS Sports Grade: B+
Kelly put together his second 10-win season in as many tries at LSU. This season, he added a Heisman Trophy-winning QB to his resume. He’s fallen short of the ultimate goal of winning a national title, but the Tigers would’ve made the College Football Playoff in a 12-team field in both of Kelly’s seasons. That will be the goal for 2024 as the format expands.
Our Thoughts: Brian Kelly has had a few surprises in his first two seasons on the Bayou. In 2022, LSU upset Alabama and ended up in the SEC championship game. In 2023, he developed a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback. It also had the surprise of a truly woeful defense that cost LSU the shot of contention of competing for a playoff spot in his first two seasons.
Visit LSU Tigers Wire for more LSU coverage
Lincoln Riley - USC
2023 Record: 8-5
Overall Record: 19-8
CBS Sports Grade: D
“USC entered the season as the Pac-12 favorite behind reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams and the Trojans were viewed as a national title contender. They finished 8-5 as Williams regressed and the defense put on a weekly exhibition of how not to tackle or cover receivers. Now, USC enters a new era in the Big Ten with many more questions than answers, evidenced by Riley completely (and belatedly) overhauling his defensive staff.”
Our Thoughts: Riley turned USC around in 2022 and made it seem that a big storm was coming to college football in the form of Trojans football. However, in 2023 they took a significant step back. With the move to the Big Ten looming, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone as high on Riley and USC’s future as they were 12 months ago.
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Mario Cristobal - Miami
2023 Record: 7-6
Overall Record: 12-13
CBS Sports Grade: D+
“The good news is Miami didn’t lose to Middle Tennessee this year. The bad news is it only went 7-6 and is 12-13 in two seasons under Cristobal, including a 6-10 record in the ACC. That’s not why he was hired. However, the Canes are doing well on the recruiting trail and will be considered one of the favorites in the conference next year. That sets up one of the greatest rivalries in college football: Miami vs. Expectations.”
Our Thoughts: Notre Dame fans will always be curious about what’s happening at Miami regardless of them being on the schedule or not. Cristobal went to Coral Gables with massive hype and has recruited extremely well. Unfortunately for him and the Canes, the only day of the year he’s feared as an opposing head coach is national signing day.
Mike Elko - Duke
2023 Record: 7-5
Overall Record: 16-9
CBS Sports Grade: A
Record-wise, Duke regressed under Elko in 2023, falling from 9-4 to 7-5, but he was still plucked away from Durham, North Carolina, by Texas A&M. Why? Because one of those seven wins came over Clemson in the season-opener, and the Blue Devils nearly knocked off Notre Dame, too. It was in the Notre Dame loss that star QB Riley Leonard suffered a high-ankle sprain that altered the rest of Duke’s season.
Our Thoughts: Elko was a star defensive coordinator at Notre Dame in 2017 before he left to take the same job at Texas A&M. He had success immediately at Duke, turning around a program that had been on the downswing. He heads back to College Station with the chance to do the same for a program that is annually among college football’s most disappointing. Can Elko quiet the outside noise in College Station and continue to turn programs around?
