FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Brian Kelly and Chuck Martin have never won a BCS national title, but that doesn’t mean they are without championship game experience. Not by a long shot. Notre Dame’s head coach (Kelly) and offensive coordinator (Martin) have celebrated four national titles on the Division II level. Kelly brought his Grand Valley State team to Florence for three championship games and returned home with two titles. Martin took over as head coach of the Lakers when Kelly left for Central Michigan, and also won two titles at Braly Stadium. In the buildup for tonight’s championship game, both said their time in Division II helped prepare them for this moment. Kelly got his start in coaching at Assumption College before finding his way to Grand Valley ion 1987. “All of my stops along my career have been formative for me to be where I am today,” said Kelly, who after leaving Grand Valley made stops at Central Michigan and Cincinnati before landing the Notre Dame job. “At Assumption College … I remember having to take my car, turn the lights on so we could paint the field Friday night before the Saturday game. The coaches did that. All of those experiences help formulate who you are today.” The stage might be bigger for tonight’s game, but Kelly said there are plenty of similarities to preparing for the Division II championship game and the BCS championship. “I’ve always felt when you take your team to a championship site, it’s important to take in all that’s going on and really enjoy it,” Kelly said. “I want to keep our team loose. I want to keep them excited about getting back here each and every year because this is our destination. We want to be playing in this game. “I don’t want them to be tight and tense. And so my experiences in other championship games, I’ve tried to use a little bit of that here and keeping our guys loose and enjoying the opportunities that they have here, as well.” Grand Valley Martin’s Grand Valley team won the 2005 and 2006 Division II championships. He said he has many fond memories from bringing the Lakers south for the championship game. “It was awesome every time we went down there,” he said. “We couldn’t have enjoyed our experiences down there anymore. It became a home away from home for us.” Martin said preparing for tonight’s championship game wasn’t much difference than for the Division II championship game. “I know it’s a bigger stage,” he said. There’s more people in the pressroom. There’s more fans running around. But it’s the same deal. You start preparing in January, and all the time and energy that the players go through and everything you watch them do from on the field, off the field, the summertime to fall camp to all the games, and it’s all about trying to get to this moment where next Tuesday we turn our equipment in no matter what.” Martin said the goal for each team was to keep playing until the absolute final day possible. “We want to play until the last day you can turn equipment in, and obviously we’re doing that at Notre Dame this year,” he said. “To me it’s very similar. It doesn’t feel any different. I know everybody says, well, it’s a bigger stage, and it’s not. It’s a football game and it’s a national championship game, and fortunately for me it’s seven times in 12 years we’ve gotten to go try to win it all. It’s been a good time, more fun than we should be allowed to have, actually.” Valuable lesson Receiver TJ Jones said he doesn’t know many of the details behind Martin’s Division II championships. “He’s brought it up that he has been to a national championship before,” Jones said. “I know he won some and lost some. He’s been on both ends of the spectrum and knows how to handle certain situations. But that’s all the details we have gotten from him.” Kelly said having coached in the less lucrative world of Division II football taught him one valuable lesson that often goes unnoticed. “I know how to appreciate the work that our support staff puts in every single day, and I think all those things help you when you get to Notre Dame,” he said.
Championship pedigree Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly and offensive coordinator Chuck Martin aren’t strangers to playing for championships. Here’s a look at their visits to the Shoals for the Division II championship game while at Grand Valley State. Brian Kelly 2001: Lost 17-14 to North Dakota in championship game 2002: Beat Valdosta State 31-24 for national title 2003: Beat North Dakota 10-3 for national title Chuck Martin As an assistant: 2001: Lost 17-14 to North Dakota in championship game 2002: Beat Valdosta State 31-24 for national title 2003: Beat North Dakota 10-3 for national title As head coach: 2005: Beat Northwest Missouri 21-17 for national title 2006: Beat Northwest Missouri 17-14 for national title 2009: Lost 30-23 to Northwest Missouri in championship game