Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions have lost another key member of their front office: director of scouting advancement Mike Martin.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Detroit Lions director of scouting advancement Mike Martin is set to become the next general manager for Notre Dame.
Martin was hired right at the beginning of the Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes era. Prior to his time with the Lions, he spent 19 years in NFL front offices—11 years with the Houston Texans, four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one year with the Tennessee Titans, and three years with the Carolina Panthers, all in various roles.
According to the Lions’ website, Martin’s role with the team was to work “with the college and pro personnel staff to enhance the scouting and roster-building processes.” Martin has held that role with the Lions for all four years with the team. During his time with the Lions, Detroit has become synonymous with expert drafting. In just four drafts, the Lions have selected six Pro Bowlers and three All-Pros.
For the past two seasons, Lions general manager Brad Holmes has specifically mentioned Martin—among a list of others—as one of the key members in their draft preparation.
This is far from the first time the Lions have lost a key member of their front office. Last year, the Commanders hired the senior director of football administration, Brandon Sosna, and the senior director of player personnel, Lance Newmark. In 2023, Lions director of college scouting Dave Sears was hired as the Arizona Cardinals’ assistant general manager.
Of note, the Lions will not receive any compensatory picks for losing Martin to a general manager job. While he is a minority who is taking a promotion to a general manager job, the “Rooney Rule” only applies to front office members who were hired as an NFL general manager. It does not apply to college hires.
