NeuteredDoomer
RIP - You are missed
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I'm liking all of this.
That's what she said.
I'm liking all of this.
Did he coach Maroney???
Chuck Martin, the coach at Grand Valley State since Brian Kelly left the program in 2003, is joining Kelly at Notre Dame, sources close to the Grand Valley program said Saturday.
Martin will join the staff as the coach of the defensive backs, the same position he was hired for by Kelly in 2000 at Grand Valley.
Martin, 74-7 in six seasons as head coach at Grand Valley, did not return phone calls.
Notre Dame and Grand Valley athletic offices are closed for the holidays until Monday, Jan. 4, which is when a contract could be signed with Notre Dame.
Sources indicated Martin would also make it official and tell his Grand Valley players on Jan. 4.
Calls to Notre Dame athletic officials and the Notre Dame football office went unanswered. Tim Nott, assistant athletic director for sports information at GVSU, declined comment.
Martin's most recent Grand Valley team reached the national championship game in Division II before falling to Northwest Missouri State, 30-23, on Dec. 12 in Florence, Ala.
The Lakers finished with a 13-2 record and an unprecedented fourth consecutive Great Lakers Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.
Grand Valley reached at least the national quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs each year under Martin, including winning national titles in 2005 and 2006.
Great! Awesome news! Two questions/thoughts:
1) If Martin is given the DB coach position, does that mean Kelly has an even better get for the DC position? (hopefully!!)
Don't see why Martin can't be hired immediately.... no bowl commitment...
BlueandGold.com // Report: Martin To Join Kelly With Irish
For six seasons, Chuck Martin was the head coach of the Grand Valley State Lakers football team. That tenure is now over as Martin will be joining long time friend and fellow coach Brian Kelly at Notre Dame according to sources at GVSU.
Martin will be joining Kelly's staff in the same fashion he once joined the Lakers at as Notre Dame's defensive backs coach. The announcement is expected to be made official on Jan. 4, 2010.
The move had long been anticipated since Kelly's arrival to the Irish in mid-December. The question then was would Martin accept the offer. Martin made it clear he would in practices leading up to the NCAA Division II National Championship game against Northwest Missouri State.
Most thought he would be offered the defensive coordinator job and not the defensive backs coach. Nonetheless he is now a member of the Fighting Irish coaching staff.
Martin knows all about the defensive backs position as he was an All-American free safety nearly 20 years ago at Millikin College (NCAA Division III College in Decatur, Ill.).
As mentioned above Martin was originally hired at GVSU as the defensive backs coach back in 2000. He held that spot for three seasons and then in 2003 was promoted to the defensive coordinator position. Then in 2004 when Brian Kelly left to become the head coach of the Central Michigan Chippewas, Martin took over the same position at GVSU.
During his time at GVSU as head coach Martin went an unprecedented 74-7. Martin led the Lakers to two NCAA Division II National Championships and five GLIAC titles. In total at GVSU, Martin was apart of six NCAA Division II National Championship appearances and came away with a trophy in four of them either as the assistant or as the head coach.
Martin recruited and coached a number of great players at GVSU. Two players are currently playing in the NFL in cornerback Brandon Carr (Kansas City Chiefs) and defensive end Dan Skuta (Cincinnati Bengals). A few other members like defensive tackle Mike McFadden, offensive lineman Brandon Barnes, wide receiver Blake Smolen, safety Jake McGuckin, quarterbacks Cullen Finnerty and Brad Iciek all had a tremendous amount of success under Martin's guide.
With a coaching record like Martin's, it was only a matter of time before he took off for Division I football. Martin was known as one of the best head coaches in Division II and would have been hard pressed to turn down offers coming from Division I programs in the next few years.
The offer to join forces with Kelly at the University of Notre Dame was too hard to refuse. So Martin pulled the trigger and the Fighting Irish just got yet another winner. Notre Dame now has two former Lakers manning the sidelines on Saturday's and if the past is any indication of the future the Irish faithful have to be jumping for joy thanks to a late Christmas present from Chuck Martin.
Final thought
Martin has a record of tremendous success, the stats don't lie. The man can coach. Martin has cemented his legacy at GVSU forever. Now it's time to start a new one in South Bend.
Martin is expected to coach defensive backsfor the Fighting Irish, which increases the likelihood that Bob Diaco, defensive coordinator at Cincinnati under Kelly in 2009, will serve in the same capacity at Notre Dame. Diaco is coaching the Bearcats in the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl against Florida.
IrishIllustrated.com - Report: Martin to coach Irish defensive backs
Tim Prister 12/26
Prister cites Grand Rapids Press article. Mostly a rehash of articles already linked in this thread.
Don't see why Martin can't be hired immediately.... no bowl commitment...