Notre Dame Says Battery Accusation Against Marcus Freeman Is 'Totally Unfounded' After High School Wrestling Incident
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman faces a battery allegation after an incident at his son's high school wrestling match; university says video evidence exonerates him.
Overview
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame's head football coach, was named in a police report filed by New Prairie assistant wrestling coach Chris Fleeger alleging battery after a Jan. 3 meet.
The alleged altercation occurred Jan. 3 at the Al Smith Wrestling Invitational in Mishawaka, Indiana, following Freeman's son Vinny's match for Penn High School.
According to reports, words were exchanged between Fleeger, Freeman, Vinny, and Penn coach Brad Harper; Notre Dame says Freeman and his wife removed Vinny from the confrontation.
Mishawaka police investigated and forwarded their completed report, including video evidence, to the prosecutor's office, which will decide whether charges should be filed.
Notre Dame defends Freeman as exonerated by video; Freeman, who led the team to 10-2 in 2025, remains linked to NFL interest despite the allegation.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this coverage neutrally: they report the allegation using terms like "alleged" and detail the incident, include Notre Dame's categorical denial and claim of exonerating video, and note the ongoing police/prosecutor review — balancing accusation and institutional response without loaded editorial language or omission of key viewpoints.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Marcus Freeman is accused of battery by New Prairie High School assistant wrestling coach Chris Fleeger, who filed a police report claiming an assault occurred after Freeman’s son lost a match at the Al Smith Wrestling Invitational on January 3 in Mishawaka, Indiana.
Notre Dame says that a local wrestling coach verbally accosted Vinny Freeman during and after his match, and that Marcus and his wife Joanna only intervened to remove their son from the situation, insisting Marcus never made physical contact with anyone.
Mishawaka police have completed their investigation and forwarded the report, which includes video evidence, to the St. Joseph County prosecutor’s office, and university sources have indicated that no charges are expected to be filed against Freeman.
The allegation was filed by New Prairie assistant wrestling coach Chris Fleeger, and reports say words were exchanged between Fleeger, Marcus Freeman, Penn coach Brad Harper, and members of Freeman’s family as they were leaving the gym, with the dispute continuing into a hallway before being broken up by law enforcement and school officials.
So far, Notre Dame has strongly backed Freeman and called the accusations totally unfounded, and he remains a high-profile coach who recently turned down NFL interest after agreeing to a top-tier contract extension with Notre Dame, suggesting no immediate impact on his job status.
History
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