WEST HARRISON, Ind. - Marcus Freeman arrives with a clean slate as first-year University of Cincinnati football defensive coordinator, trying to make the Bearcats defense relevant again after years of struggling.
The 31-year-old Freeman once was a standout linebacker at Ohio State, and he also is coaching the UC linebackers. Before joining the staff of new UC head coach Luke Fickell last December, Freeman coached Purdue linebackers from 2013-16 and also was co-defensive coordinator in 2016. Before Purdue, Freeman began his coaching career as an Ohio State graduate assistant (2010) and was Kent State linebackers coach (2011-12).
Freeman inherits a UC unit that finished a respectable 55th nationally in scoring defense (26.