It wasn't exactly earth-shattering when Marcus Freeman announced he'd return to Notre Dame in 2026, passing up the chance to be the New York Giants' next head coach.
Maybe he wanted to make up for that petty postseason opt-out after missing the College Football Playoff, or maybe he just likes his life in South Bend, Indiana. Either way, he's running it back with the Fighting Irish, who'll look to get back into the CFP bracket next season.
The soon-to-be 40-year-old wasn't No. 1 on the Giants' list of candidates or anything like that and wasn't any further ahead in the candidacy process than anyone else, yet it was still a blow to a search that hasn't even fully gotten underway.