Marcus Freeman addressed public scrutiny on Wednesday over an incident at his son’s recent high school wrestling tournament, saying he and his family were unfairly portrayed by at least one local media outlet in its reporting of the event.
Freeman’s comments came in the wake of a police report filed after an altercation at the Jan. 3 Al Smith Wrestling Invitational in Mishawaka, Indiana, where Freeman was attending to support his son, Vinny, a senior wrestler. An assistant coach from New Prairie High School, Chris Fleeger, alleged that Freeman made physical contact with him after Vinny’s match. The report was widely circulated by local news media and sparked national attention.
In his statement, Freeman thanked the University of Notre Dame, the high school administration and media outlets that he said reported the situation responsibly. But he also openly criticized another local media outlet and a specific reporter for what he described as sensational coverage that lacked all the facts.
“I know many of you in this room were aware of the situation as it was unfolding, and I appreciate your patience and not rushing to report without having all the facts and information. It is also important to me to express my extreme disappointment with one particular local media outlet and a reporter who I believe chose to do the opposite. Had to handle themselves more professionally and waited for more facts to become available, this would not have become a sensationalized story making national headlines because they chose not to do so.”
He emphasized the importance of journalistic integrity and fairness, especially when reporting incidents involving children and families.
University officials had quickly issued a statement denying that Freeman ever physically engaged with anyone at the event, saying video evidence included in the police report fully exonerated the coach and that the accusations were “totally unfounded.” Freeman reiterated that assertion in his remarks, stating that both he and his wife, Joanna, intervened only to remove their son from a tense situation.
St. Joseph County prosecutors reviewed the incident and determined that no criminal battery had occurred, saying that evidence did not support filing charges against Freeman. Prosecutors noted that while incidental contact may have occurred, it did not meet the threshold for a crime.
Alleged mugshot of Chris Fleeger 🫵😂
Christopher Fleeger has been arrested twice, according to https://t.co/fLyUEDDLnd
• Residential Entry and Theft (2004)
• Battery resulting in Bodily Injury (2009)Why was this scumbag coaching high school wrestling in the first place? 🤡 pic.twitter.com/cv6JwlStOa
— Sports Talk Drew ☘️ (@SportsTalkDrew) January 12, 2026
Freeman told those gathered that he was grateful for support from the community and law enforcement and assured them the matter was now resolved. “I behaved in a respectful and professional manner while protecting my family, and that should have been the only headline,” he said. Freeman said he would not comment further out of respect for all parties involved.
The incident drew national attention in part because Freeman, 40, has emerged as a leading figure in college football, guiding Notre Dame to significant success and drawing NFL interest. Despite the controversy, he is expected to lead the Fighting Irish in the 2026 season.
