Fantastic interview with Coach Martin looking back on his time at Notre Dame. Didn't know much about the man but reading this really made me like him. Some highlights:
TP: Four years after coming to Notre Dame, do you still view the place and the program the same way?
CM: Yeah, oh yeah. I still view it as a place where they try to do it right every day. Do they do everything right every single day? No one does and no one can. But the standards, what happens with Everett Golson, other decisions like that…
With Everett, they made the right decision for the kid. I had people say to me, ‘Oh, we should have swept this under the rug.’ No, we’re helping the kid. We’re not helping the kid that year; we’re helping the kid for the rest of his life because we wanted the kid to be accountable for his actions.
TP: Is being the head coach at Notre Dame the perfect scenario for you?
CM: That would probably be the only goal I have in coaching. Other than that, I’ve never really chased jobs. I’m happy where I am today and during my previous stops in coaching. I always like where I’m at. I’ve never really had a bad job. I love where I’m at now. I don’t concern myself with jobs other than the one I have.
But if you ask me if there’s one job I’d like to have, it would be Notre Dame.
Also was asked about his favorite players to coach during his time at ND and specifically mentioned Harrison Smith, Theo Riddick, and, in particular, RJ Blanton. Still talks with RJ regularly and just raved about him in his answer. Martin also mentioned Nelson Agholor and Ty Isaac as the two recruits it hurt most to lose. Maybe Ty can ease the pain a little with his upcoming decision?
https://notredame.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1643593
