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Brian Kelly Puts Together Top-Notch Coaching Staff for the Fighting Irish: Grand Valley State Connection at Notre Dame: Defensive Backs Coach Chuck Martin also Recruiting Coordinator

By Andis Kaulins

In all the hubbub about Brian Kelly taking over as the head coach at Notre Dame, we missed a piece of essential information that we found today in looking at the NCAA Division II college football game scores.

As written at the Grand Valley State Official Athletic Site, were were surprised to see the headline Matt Mitchell Named Head Football Coach at Grand Valley State - GRAND VALLEY STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE in connection with Mitchell's nip-and-tuck opening season win 34-31 over West Texas A&M.

As written there:

"Allendale, Mich. - Tim Selgo, the Director of Athletics at Grand Valley State University, announced ... that Matt Mitchell has been named the seventh head coach in the tradition-rich history of the GVSU football program. Mitchell replaces Chuck Martin who left to become the defensive backs coach at the University of Notre Dame. Martin guided Grand Valley State to a 74-7 record during his six years at the helm, including two NCAA DII Football National Championships (2005-2006), five Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) crowns, and six playoff appearances."

That Brian Kelly could get Martin to join him at Notre Dame in a supporting role is a fantastic boon to the Fighting Irish, whose defense was terrible in past years and often the difference between winning and losing. Some years ago we even suggested Martin as the new Husker head coach at Nebraska. He is such a talented head coach in his own right that we expect him to last one or two seasons at Notre Dame before some large Division I-A FBS school hires him away as their head coach with an offer he can't refuse.

Kelly has in fact hired a numer of highly experienced coaches to his Notre Dame staff: see Mike Denbrock, Mike Elston And Chuck Martin Named To Notre Dame Football Coaching Staff.

Will Notre Dame be a team to watch this season? You better believe it.

Full post as published by LawPundit on September 04, 2010 (boomark / email).