Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was scheduled to appear in the December 13, 2025, episode of “Saturday Night Live.” Comedian Shane Gillis, a vocal Irish supporter who helped facilitate the gig, revealed it was supposed to be a cameo on “Weekend Update.” But the appearance was canceled due to a shake-up in the CFB world.
“I tried to get him on SNL this year,” said Gillis during his Tuesday appearance on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast. “And it was close. We were close to getting it done. I was talking to Lorne (Michaels) about it, and we were close. We were going to have him on Weekend Update, and then something happened at the Michigan program that became the biggest story in college football, and not Notre Dame, so we couldn’t do it. For real. It was that week.”
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore’s sudden downfall just three days before the show caused Freeman’s SNL appearance to fall through. Gillis explained that the Moore scandal became the “biggest story in college football,” making any lighthearted, football-themed content featuring Freeman feel out of place. On December 10, 2025, Michigan fired Moore for cause following reports of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member named Paige Shiver.
Michigan’s internal investigation found credible evidence of their “inappropriate relationship,” and the situation escalated further when Moore was arrested for a stalking and home invasion incident involving the same staffer. This April, Moore was sentenced to 18 months of probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor trespassing and malicious use of a telecommunications device.
Before Moore’s firing, Freeman was in the news as part of the debate over the CFP field. Despite a strong 10-win season, Notre Dame was ultimately left out of the playoff because it lost to Miami earlier in the season. On December 7, the CFB committee opted for the Canes and three-loss Alabama over the Irish. Notre Dame didn’t take kindly to the news and opted out of bowl games in protest.
Maybe Gillis’ SNL segment would have focused on this snub. Instead, the December 13 show featured neither Gillis nor Freeman. The comedian last appeared on SNL on October 4 last year, when he portrayed Curtis Sliwa in the NYC Mayoral Debate cold open.
But while Freeman missed his SNL debut, his growing national profile, recently highlighted in an Esquire feature, suggests he remains a top candidate for future media crossover opportunities. Yet, how did Gillis help in Freeman’s SNL appearance? Does he have any prior connection with that show?
How Shane Gillis’ connection worked for Marcus Freeman
While Shane Gillis was not hosting that specific week of Freeman’s appearance, his most recent hosting stint on SNL was in March 2025; he remains a key figure in the SNL orbit following his successful return to the show in 2024. Despite his firing in 2019, Gillis rebuilt his relationship with creator Lorne Michaels. The latter later admitted the firing was an executive decision he didn’t fully agree with.
Gillis is a lifelong Notre Dame “superfan” and has become an unofficial brand ambassador for the Irish, appearing in Under Armor commercials alongside Marcus Freeman and even participating in team promotional videos.
Freeman publicly called his bond with Gillis “kind of cool,” noting that the comedian’s presence helps the program appeal to a younger, “cooler” demographic. They spent time together at games and behind the scenes, which allowed Gillis to serve as a bridge between the coach and the New York media.
