Chuck Martin Leaving Grand Valley State To Join Kelly at Notre Dame

Over the past six years, no coach has achieved more success on any level then Chuck Martin of Grand Valley State University. Since taking the helm of GVSU, Martin has guided the Lakers to a 74-7 record, including two national championships in two championship game appearances.

Martin, who succeeded Brian Kelly at GVSU, became even more successful than his predecessor. Kelly amassed an impressive 118-35-2 record in 13 years as head coach at GVSU before moving on to Central Michigan and Cincinnati.

Kelly, now the head coach at Notre Dame, has tapped Martin to be the new defensive backs coach for the Irish, the same job Kelly hired Martin for at GVSU is 2000. Martin, a catholic from the south side of Chicago, jumped at the opportunity to coach in South Bend. The tandem of Kelly and Martin will attempt to do in South Bend what they did in Allendale: win national championships.

Martin is expected to be announced as the new D-backs coach as soon as Jan. 4th.  Phone calls to both Grand Valley State and Notre Dame athletic offices went unanswered as both departments are closed for the holidays until Jan. 4th.

What made Kelly and Martin such a success at GVSU was their ability to accentuate each other's positives, while relying on each other to compensate for weaknesses. While Kelly certainly has the offensive genius to put points on the board in staggering numbers, one critique of his Cincinnati teams was a lack of defense.

In contrast, Martin has engineered some great defensive teams, including GVSU's 2003 stingy national championship team under Brian Kelly as defensive coordinator for the Lakers.

Irish fans and the entire nation, will see a coach in tandem unrivaled and the FBS.

The question for GVSU becomes, "Can we catch a lightning in a bottle for a third straight time?" Grand Valley has had a string of successful coaches. Kelly's predecessor at GVSU, Tom Beck, was inducted into the College Football Hall Of Fame in 2004.

It was Beck who gave Kelly his first coaching job as a graduate assistant at GVSU. After leaving GVSU, Beck became offensive coordinator at you guessed it, the University of Notre Dame.

Martin's possible replacement at Grand Valley is his own defensive coordinator, Matt Mitchell. This year was Mitchell's second season as the Lakers' defensive coordinator under Chuck Martin. Mitchell joined Martin's staff in 2004 as linebackers coach.

In 2005, the Lakers' defensive charge led the nation in pass efficiency defense (83.6), ranked third in scoring defense (12.2), fifth in total defense (254.6) and seventh in rushing defense (88.3). GVSU held its opponents off the scoreboard in 25-of-52 quarters played during the 2005 season and seven-of-13 opponents scored 10 points or less.

In addition, nine-of-13 foes failed to reach the 100-yard rushing mark. The Grand Valley defense yielded 15 TDs in 13 games in 2005, with six of those 15 TDs coming in the fourth quarter against defensive reserves. The Lakers held three opponents out of the endzone for over 11 quarters to start the season.

In 2006, the Laker defense held its opponents to seven points or less five times, including a shutout in the season-opener at the University of Findlay (Ohio). GVSU led the nation in QB sacks per game (3.53), while ranking fifth in turnovers gained (37). The Lakers held 8-of-15 foes under 100 yards rushing.

Mitchell's 2007 Laker linebacking unit was the focal point of a GVSU defense that led the GLIAC and ranked nationally in scoring defense (14.5), total defense (303.6), pass efficiency defense (95.6) and QB sacks (42), while ranking second in pass defense (154.7) and rush defense (148.9). Grand Valley held 9-of-13 opponents under 14 points and only one scored more than 21 points.

The 2008 Laker defense led the GLIAC in six different categories and ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense (fourth/12.6), QB sacks (second/4.17) and tackles for loss (sixth/9.17). GVSU also ranked 17th in total defense (278.9), tallied two shutouts, and limited seven opponents to 10 points or less on the year with Mitchell at the helm.

Mitchell's previous coaching experience includes four years as an assistant at Wartburg College (Iowa), including two as defensive coordinator. Wartburg was 21-3 during Mitchell's two years a DC advancing to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals each year.

The only possible drawback to Mitchell as head coach at GVSU is the fact that he is married to the daughter of GVSU Athletic Director Tim Selgo. Selgo may choose to avoid any appearance of impropriety as well as avoiding any possible future conflicts of interest by performing a nationwide search for the next Laker head coach.

Regardless of who replaces Martin at GVSU, it is clear he will have enormous shoes to fill. Grand Valley fans have become notoriously intolerant of losses. Staying on top in Division II while succeeding the two previous coaching greats, (with nearly 200 wins between then, while averaging only one loss per season since 2001) will require a Herculean effort and a thick skin.

Whether that person is Matt Mitchell, or someone yet to be named, it is likely the Laker Nation will continue to cheer on a football team residing in the top echelons of Division II.