While Notre Dame football’s 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois on Saturday was stunning, a specific post-game development may have been even more so. Huskies coach Thomas Hammock promised to tell Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman about the strategies that contributed to the upset.
Hammock explained why he was so generous on Pardon My Take.
“We’ve spoken on the phone a few times and exchanged text messages. “It was my first time meeting him,” Hammock said. “Obviously, I have a lot of respect for him as a head coach and want him to be successful for obvious reasons. “Just because we competed does not mean we can’t help each other or try to help each other improve.”
Because Northern Illinois is in the MAC and Notre Dame is independent, the two coaches do not need to worry about sharing information. However, it is still admirable of Hammock to go out of his way to assist Freeman.
Will Hammock’s intelligence aid Freeman and the Irish in the future?
Hammock’s altruistic deed has the potential to benefit Freeman and the Irish, who will face seven Power Four schools in the next season, including two ranked teams. Their defeat to the Huskies has a negative impact on their College Football Playoff resume, so they’ll need to be practically faultless the rest of the way to clinch a position.
