Nearly two weeks after news broke that Notre Dame football would turn to Mike Martin as its new general manager, the athletic department officially announced Martin’s hiring on Thursday.

The news came as the NFL Scouting Combine started its testing and workout phase at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where Martin likely would have been paying close attention if Notre Dame hadn’t hired him away from the Detroit Lions. Martin, a 2003 Vanderbilt graduate and former defensive back for the Commodores, spent the past four season as director of scouting advancement for the Lions.

Martin’s filled various roles in the NFL since beginning as an intern with the Tennessee Titans in 2022. He spent four seasons in different jobs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before spending 11 seasons with the Houston Texans. He then worked for the Carolina Panthers for three seasons before heading to Detroit.

“Mike Martin is an innovative, forward-thinking, organized leader, who is also elite at talent evaluation,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said in a released statement. “He is a great communicator and has valuable experience in roster building and management, as he was a vital piece of enhancing and developing the Detroit Lions’ roster over the last few years. Additionally, his expertise in utilizing sports science and analytics will help us continue to elevate our program.”

Click here for Inside ND Sports‘ original story on Martin’s hiring from Feb. 14.

SUBSCRIBE TO INSIDE ND SPORTS TO STAY IN THE KNOW ON NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS