Report: Cincinnati DC Marcus Freeman Expected To Interview For The LSU DC Job

Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is expected to interview for the defensive coordinator position on LSU's staff, according to Cincinnati sports reporter Brandon Saho.

The 34-year old Huber Heights, Ohio native played linebacker at Ohio State from 2004-2008 and returned to Columbus to begin his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 2010.

He was hired to be the linebacker coach at Kent State from 2011-2012 and moved on to take the same position at Purdue from 2013-2015. He was promoted as co-defensive coordinator with the Boilermakers for the 2016 season.

Freeman took the defensive coordinator position on Luke Fickell's staff at Cincinnati in 2017. Per Wikipedia:

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On December 13, 2016, Freeman joined the Cincinnati Bearcats football staff.[5] After being one of the first hires by Luke Fickell, Freeman transformed the Bearcats into one of the best defenses of the American Athletic Conference. In 2018 Freeman's defense led the American in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense and ranked among the Top-15 in the NCAA FBS in all three categories. The next season, the Bearcats finished atop the 2019 AAC ranks in scoring defense for the second-straight season and ranked among the league's top three in rushing and total defense.[6]

Like his head coach, Freeman has declined a handful of positions to remain at Cincinnati including offers of returning to Ohio State as linebackers coach,[7] linebackers coach for the Tennessee Titans,[8] and defensive coordinator at Michigan State[9] among other offers. Freeman has been considered by a number of national outlets as one of the rising stars of the college coaching ranks.[10]

Freeman was a finalist for the Broyles Award and named the 247Sports Defensive Coordinator of the Year during the 2020 season.[11][12]

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