Marcus Freeman family tree: Meet the wife, kids, parents and more about the Notre Dame coach’s Korean roots

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has turned a lot of heads in a short amount of time. He took over as the head man for the Fighting Irish in 2021 after serving as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

Freeman was an interim coach for the 2021 Fiest Bowl after Brian Kelley left for LSU, and he got the full-time job in the offseason, much to the team’s delight. Since he took over, Notre Dame has gone 33-9, including 14-1 this year. Freeman has the Fighting Irish back in the title game for the first time since the 2013 BCS National Championship Game.

He became the first black and Asian American head coach to lead a team to the College Football Playoff National Championship, where he and Notre Dame will face Ohio State on Monday, January 20.

Here’s everything you need to know about Freeman’s family tree.

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Where is Marcus Freeman from?

Freeman was born in Fairborn, Ohio in 1986. He was born at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Freeman’s father served in the Air Force and met Freeman’s mother while serving in South Korea. He lived in Ohio throughout his childhood and eventually attended Ohio State. He played five years with the Buckeyes before spending a year in the NFL.

Is Marcus Freeman Married?

Yes. Freeman met his now-wife Joanna in college. They got married in 2010 and have six children together.

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Marcus Freeman family tree

Marcus Freeman parents

Freeman’s father Michael grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He worked as an usher at Ohio Stadium, where the Buckeyes play. Michael joined the Air Force shortly after graduating high school. In the 1970s he was stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea. While there, he met Marcus’ mother, Chong. She is from Daegu City, South Korea. The couple married in 1977 and moved to Texas in 1979.

Marcus Freeman’s wife

Joanna is also from Ohio and grew up in Massillon. The city is approximately one hour south of Cleveland and two hours northeast of Columbus. Marcus was a student at Ohio State and played linebacker for the Buckeyes. She attended Otterbein University. They were introduced to each other by a mutual friend and they got married on February 20, 2010.

Joana previously worked as a news reporter at WBNS-Channel 10 in Columbus, but has since become a homemaker for the growing family.

How many children does Marcus Freeman have?

Marcus and Joanna have six children together: Vinny, Siena, Gino, Nico, Capri and Rocco. Vinny is the oldest at 17. He has followed in his father’s footsteps and played football in high school. He is also on the wrestling team.

Sienna is 12, Gino is 11, Nico is 9, Capri is 7, and Rocco is 6. Freeman also has another daughter, Bria, who is 18 and from a previous relationship, as of US Weekly.