Marcus Freeman escapes charges following wrestling match incident

Notre Dame Coach Avoids Charges After Incident

Marcus Freeman, the head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, has been cleared of assault charges stemming from an incident at his son’s high school wrestling match. This was confirmed by officials on Monday.

The local prosecutor’s office in St. Joseph County, Indiana, decided not to pursue charges against Freeman, who faced allegations from Chris Freeger, a new assistant coach at Prairie High School. Freeger claimed that Freeman pushed him following a match where Freeman’s son, Vinny, was involved.

The Mishawaka Police Department initially investigated the situation, but eventually passed the case to prosecutors. According to their statement, officers responded to a report of assault on January 3, 2026, during a wrestling tournament at Mishawaka High School. The incident, which occurred near the gym exit, was recorded by surveillance cameras, and multiple witnesses were interviewed.

After reviewing the findings from the police investigation, the Attorney General’s Office concluded that no criminal violence had taken place, leading to the decision not to file charges against Freeman.

The altercation reportedly occurred during the Al Smith Wrestling Invitational, as Freeman and Penn coach Brad Harper exchanged words with Freeger while leaving the gym. It’s also noted that Freeman’s wife, Joanna, was involved in a verbal exchange with Freeger before police stepped in.

Notre Dame has publicly supported Freeman, stating that Vinny faced verbal abuse from a local coach, prompting Marcus and Joanna to intervene. The university emphasized that Freeman did not engage in any physical confrontation and expressed confidence that the evidence supports their stance, deeming the allegations unfounded.