Ex-Giants DC Wink Martindale headed to Michigan in same role, report says
Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale of the Giants against the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 11, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Wink Martindale has found a new gig.
The former Giants defensive coordinator has landed the same job at the University of Michigan, according to an ESPN report.
The Giants and Martindale engaged in an ugly split after the season, with both sides utilizing anonymous sources to share its side. On Jan. 10, the Giants issued a terse, 13-word statement, saying the team and Martindale had parted ways. Last November, Fox’s Jay Glazer initially signaled unrest between coach Brian Daboll and Martindale, reporting that the relationship between the two was in “a bad place.”
The Giants' new defensive coordinator is Shane Bowen, who was the defensive coordinator of the Titans for the last three years.
Martindale’s two-year run with the Giants was often interesting, especially during his weekly news conferences. He has a big personality and, generally speaking, Giants players seemed to enjoy playing in his aggressive scheme.
Martindale’s departure from the Giants was acrimonious. Daboll fired two of his assistants, brothers Drew and Kevin Wilkins, a move that Daboll had to know would anger Martindale.
And it did.
Martindale left the $3 million remaining on his contract for the freedom to sign anywhere.
After NFL teams passed, Michigan presumably became the best option. The Wolverines are the reigning national champions and went 15-0 in the 2023-24 season. Martindale replaces Jesse Minter, who left Michigan along with Jim Harbaugh to join the Los Angeles Chargers.
Before his two years with the Giants, Martindale spent 10 seasons with the Ravens — six as linebackers coach followed by four seasons as defensive coordinator.
Martindale, 60, is returning to the college game for the first time in more than two decades.
After two years as an assistant at Notre Dame (1994-95), Martindale made coaching stops at Cincinnati (1996–98), Western Illinois (1999) and Western Kentucky (2000–2003) before moving to the NFL and coaching linebackers for the Raiders in 2004.
The Wolverines had one of the best defenses in college football this past season. They gave up the fewest points per game (10.4) of any team in college football and held previously undefeated Washington to 13 points in its 34-13 national title game win. Only Maryland, Ohio State and Alabama scored at least 20 points, but none tallied more than 24.
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
