The most telling part of soon-to-be Notre Dame football’s new general manager Mike Martin’s potential as part of head coach Marcus Freeman’s staff is the bottom line.
The Detroit Lions’ bottom line, that is, during Martin’s four seasons as the team's director of scouting advancement.
Working with the college and pro personnel staff “to enhance the scouting and roster-building processes,” his Lions bio reads, Martin under head coach Dan Campbell helped coach the Lions from a 3-13-1 team in 2021 to 9-8, then 12-5 and 15-2 in the NFL season just completed.
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ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter was first with the news Friday morning about ND finalizing a deal with Martin. A source confirmed it to Inside ND Sports. Football Scoop’s John Brice reported the former Vanderbilt defensive back (1999-02) and finalist for the SEC scholar-athlete of the year was offered a multi-year deal worth “more than $500,000 annually, plus bonus incentives.”
The language about the imminent hiring is intentionally vague and not officially confirmed until the university completes its vetting process for all new hires for the football coaching and support staff.
Martin will replace Chad Bowden, who left Notre Dame last month after spending the last year of the Brian Kelly coaching Era (2021) and the first three of the Freeman regime in various roles, including — most recently — GM.
Martin has a connection with Notre Dame’s director of scouting Matt Jansen, working together when they were both with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Martin spent 11 years with that organization (2007-17) before serving as an area scout for the Carolina Panthers in between his stints in Houston and Detroit.
His role with the Texans included assistant director of college scouting in 2017, a national scout from 2015-16, and as a college scout from 2007-14. Before his time in Houston, he spent four seasons with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2003-06), first as a pro personnel assistant, then a pro scout and finally two seasons as the southeast region and national combine scout. His first NFL position came as an intern with the Tennessee Titans in 2002.
Martin graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in human and organizational developmental studies in 2002. In 2003, he earned a master's degree in organizational leadership from Vanderbilt.
Per his bio, Martin and wife Cari have two children, — a son, Maddon, and a daughter, Malone.
There will be more hires to come in the coming days and weeks on the personnel side of the Irish football program, as Notre Dame continues to evolve with the quickly evolving college sports model.
Notre Dame on Jan. 20 concluded its third season under Freeman with a 14-2 record and a final ranking of No. 2 in the AP and coaches polls. The Irish fell to Ohio State, 34-23, in the CFP National Championship Game, Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
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