There’s a history of Cincinnati influence in South Bend, including Kelly, who spent three seasons with the Bearcats before taking the Notre Dame job. A year before Kelly poached Freeman, he hired Bearcats defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, a Cincinnati alum who was a teammate of Freeman’s at Wayne High School outside of Dayton.

Say Marcus Freeman does take an NFL job. Who are the first calls you make to find his replacement at Notre Dame?

Is Marcus Freeman a candidate for the Chicago Bears opening? Here's everything to know about the NFL rumors surrounding Notre Dame's head coach: