Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman was “close” to appearing on “Saturday Night Live” in December before the firing and arrest of former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore derailed plans, according to comedian Shane Gillis. During a Tuesday appearance on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast , Gillis, a diehard Fighting Irish fan, explained that he was behind nearly securing Freeman for the “Weekend Update” sketch during the Dec. 13 episode but plans fell through when the Moore scandal dominated headlines three days prior. “I tried to get him on ‘SNL’ this year,” Gillis said. “And it was close. We were close to getting it done. I was talking to [‘SNL’ creator] Lorne [Michaels] about it, and we were close. Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on from the sidelines in the first half during the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium on November 15, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.…