Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman will not face battery charges in Indiana after prosecutors concluded there was insufficient evidence to pursue a case.
The 40-year-old father of seven was attending his son’s wrestling match on January 3 at Mishawaka High School, where New Prairie high assistant coach Chris Fleeger claimed he was shoved by Freeman.
Fleeger later told Mishawaka police he recognized Freeman and noted he was ‘rich,’ adding that he planned to hire an attorney.
Crucially, police received conflicting testimony from two of Fleeger’s acquaintances, neither of which was supported by video evidence taken from the scene. That video has not been released publicly.
Freeman denied making contact with Fleeger but told police he instructed the assistant wrestling coach to stop talking about his son and his teammates after an altercation at the end of a match.
‘After reviewing the Mishawaka Police Department’s investigation into this incident, the Prosecutor’s Office has determined that no criminal battery occurred,’ the St. Joseph’s County prosecutor’s office said in a statement. ‘As such, no criminal charges will be filed against Mr. Freeman.
Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman will not face battery charges in Indiana after prosecutors concluded there was insufficient evidence to pursue a case
‘Based on a review of all of the evidence, the State would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred,’ the statement continued. ‘While the evidence suggests that a touching may have occurred, an inadvertent touching is not sufficient. The State is therefore declining to file any criminal charges.’
Freeman’s 17-year-old son, Vinny, is a standout wrestler at Penn High and is headed to the Ivy League, where he’ll compete for Cornell in 2026-27.
Per the original police report, it is alleged that Vinny lost his match against Hanover Central senior Israel Sinnott and was then escorted from the mat by his father Marcus and Penn head coach Brad Harper.
It is at that point that words were exchanged between the group and Fleeger, which then allegedly turned physical as Freeman walked into the hallway.
Police were also told Freeman’s wife Joanna – Vinny’s mother – engaged in a shouting match with Fleeger before law enforcement and school officials calmed the situation.
Vinny Freeman, who recently committed to Cornell, was competing for Penn State
Freeman has seven children, six with his current wife Joanna (all are pictured above)
While Freeman and his family were not asked to leave the premises, they did so anyway. Later, Vinny was one of just two competing athletes not present on the podium from the 112 eligible, per reports.
Notre Dame officials have since issued a firm denial, insisting that video evidence exonerated Freeman.
‘Vinny Freeman, head coach Marcus Freeman’s son, was verbally accosted during and after his wrestling match by a local wrestling coach,’ Notre Dame said in a statement.
‘Marcus and Joanna Freeman intervened and removed Vinny from the situation. At no point did Coach Freeman physically engage with anyone. We believe that the police report, which includes video evidence, fully exonerates Coach Freeman and makes clear these accusations are totally unfounded.’
Freeman has been linked with multiple NFL head coaching jobs in recent months, but has instead renegotiated his contract to remain in South Bend. Details of the deal are not known publicly, but he’s believed have received a significant raise from the $7.4 million in earned in 2023-24.
He is now 43-12 in five seasons since replacing Brian Kelly at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were 10-2 this season, but missed the College Football Playoffs and opted against accepting a bid to the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Notre Dame opens the 2026 season in Green Bay against the Wisconsin Badgers on September 6.
