Notre Dame will adopt an NFL model with its football general manager position. A person briefed on the matter confirmed Marcus Freeman will tab Mike Martin of the Detroit Lions to replace Chad Bowden, who departed for USC three weeks ago.
Notre Dame also pursued James Blanchard from Texas Tech for the position before Blanchard decided to remain in Lubbock.
Martin has worked with five NFL teams and just finished his fourth season in Detroit as the Lions’ director of scouting advancement. That position worked with the team’s college and pro personnel staff to build the Lions’ roster, which improved in every season Martin spent with the organization, including last season’s 15-2 mark and No. 1 seed in the NFC.
ESPN was first to report the hire.
The challenge for Martin in South Bend will be similar to the one he would have faced if he stayed on staff in Detroit. Notre Dame went 11-1 last regular season, as Freeman improved the program’s record for a third consecutive year. Then Notre Dame advanced to the national championship game, knocking off three consecutive top-10 opponents and winning a major bowl game for the first time in 31 seasons, before falling to Ohio State.
Though the Irish lost quarterback Riley Leonard, two-time All-American safety Xavier Watts, defensive tackles Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills and linebacker Jack Kiser, Notre Dame will return the bulk of its offensive line, linebacking corps, secondary and running back room.
Martin, who graduated from Vanderbilt, should have at least some working knowledge of Notre Dame’s scouting department, having overlapped with director of scouting Matt Jansen in Houston.
Notre Dame opens spring practice on March 18.
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