Bears looking to interview Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman for head coach

The Chicago Bears are conducting their search for a new head coach, and the extended list of candidates continues to grow by the day. From up-and-coming coordinators to former head coaches to college coaches, the Bears have indeed cast a wide net.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Bears are looking to interview Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman for their head coach job. Per Pelissero, Freeman likely won't entertain NFL offers ahead of the College Football National Championship on Jan. 20, but it definitely sounds like Chicago has had its eyes on Freeman for awhile.

"The Bears have done extensive research for months on Marcus Freeman," Pelissero said. "He's only 39 years old. Would not be a shock if at some point he at least considers going to the NFL."

This isn't the first time Freeman has been mentioned in conjunction with Chicago's head coach opening. Back in December, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones and Fox Sports' Peter Schrager mentioned Freeman as a potential dark horse candidate for the job. Freeman would fit that "leader of men" type the Bears are searching for, but it's unclear whether he's interested.

But after Freeman inked a four-year extension tying him to South Bend through 2030, the belief was that he wouldn't explore the NFL. Now, it sounds like that might not be the case. In his third season, Freeman led the Fighting Irish to an 11-1 record and a spot in the College Football National Championship against Ohio State.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears looking to interview Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman for head coach