After more than 40 years in the industry, Don “Wink” Martindale has seen just about everything.
He won an NCAA Championship with a coach named Harbaugh, won a Super Bowl with a coach named Harbaugh, and now he takes over the defending national champion defense that was coached by someone named Harbaugh. It will be.
Martindale, 60, has been in Ann Arbor for more than six weeks and was just announced as the team's defensive coordinator earlier this month. On a recent episode of the show's “Inside The Trenches” podcast, the well-traveled defensive mind detailed his early days in Michigan football after coaching at the NFL level for nearly 20 years.
“From day one, when Sherone (Moore) and I decided this was going to work, we were excited,” Martindale said. “The people here are so energetic, they go to hockey games, they go to basketball games, they can’t wait for baseball and softball to start. I’m enjoying it. Masu.”
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“Just getting back to campus life was really energizing for me. It brought me back to my roots as an educator, which was when I was just starting out as a high school teacher and coach.”
Martindale spent five years as a high school coach after playing at Defiance College in the late '70s and early '80s. He was given the nickname “Wink” when he entered his first year of school carrying a duffel bag with “Martindale” written on it. The late Donald Brown said, “Hey, Wink,” after the popular game show host of the time.
I've been stuck for over 40 years and it feels like I have nearly 40 jobs.
“The only people who call me Donnie are my wife, my grandmother, my mother, and Al Davis,” he laughed. “Everyone else is used to calling me Wink. I don't care what you call me, just call me.”
“OG of this system”
When it became clear that former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was leaving college to join Jim Harbaugh's staff with the Los Angeles Chargers, Moore actually called him.
It wasn't that difficult of a decision either. After all, Martindale is part of a defense that was introduced in Ann Arbor in 2021 by Mike McDonald (current Seattle Seahawks head coach) and then shaped over the past two years by Minter, leading the Wolverines to new heights. He is the first designer.
The previous two DCs were each on Martindale's staff when the Amoeba defense was planned in Baltimore in 2018. Now, he has re-inherited a system that they have added their own twist to, ensuring everyone around the building that their units are in safe hands.
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“There have been some language changes due to the up-tempo nature of college football, but the fundamentals of what brought us all together in 2018 have remained intact,” Martindale said. “It’s fun to see it work out, and to see it work out not just for those two guys, but for Danton Lin, who is now at (Southern California), and Zach Orr, the D coordinator in Baltimore. is fun.
“We have a lot of players who have come through our tree and have had great success in this system. It's like I said to the players, 'Humbly, I'm not a big fan of this system. I’m the OG of the system.’ Because we have this system, we’re fine.”
No one will mistake this year's team for last year's team. As you know, this team not only became his fourth team in NCAA history to go 15-0, but 18 of his players were invited to the most recent combine in Indianapolis. , set an NFL record.
But Martindale agrees there is plenty to work on. Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are the anchors of the defensive line at the tackle position. He spoke passionately about their raw athleticism and skill, but more than that, he noticed how fundamentally sound they were.
Martindale, who has been evaluating prospects for 20 years, has seen players entering the league lack technique over the years, but they have the sheer ability to overcome it. have.
“They're square football players that knock back and make plays,” he said. “It warms my heart to see that.”
At the level behind them are linebackers Ernest Hausman and Maryland transfer Jayshawn Barham, and behind them are future NFL draft picks Rod Moore and Macari, a year later.・Two members of Page are safely waiting.
Depth is a work in progress, as is the truly proven piece on the outside beyond cornerback Will Johnson. Derrick Moore and Josiah Stewart both have the ability to take the next step as edge rushers, but neither was All-Big Ten before the season.
“When you talk about getting stronger in the middle and those two tackles, those two inside backers and the two safeties we have, that's a great place to start,” Martindale said.
“You should train your body.”
The last time Martindale was at Michigan Stadium on a game day was Nov. 27, 1995, when he brought his wife, Laura, from South Bend, Indiana, where he was coaching at Notre Dame, for Michigan vs. Ohio State. I decided to take him to the game. For a romantic weekend.
That day, Tim Biakabutka ran all over Ohio State, accumulating 313 rushing yards, the most in the history of the matchup, and the Wolverines defeated the second-place Buckeyes 31-23.
“I remember this: Ohio State had all these No. 1 picks,” Martindale said. “But during that game, it felt like the (Michigan State) players were kicking the (expletive) out of the (OSU) players. It didn't make sense how bad the whiplash was. And , as I grew and learned, it made sense.”
reason? Physicality. It's something UM was proud of at the time, and how it reestablished its dominance over Ohio State over the past three years after losing the rivalry.
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Martindale, who spent the past two years with the New York Giants, made his name with the Ravens, known as one of the toughest teams in the NFL.
That's one reason he didn't hesitate to take the UM job, which he called both his “dream job” and “bucket list.”
“Starting with Cherone, being at the University of Michigan is one of the advantages because of the offense and the way Cherone runs the offense,” he said. “If you’re going to play at the University of Michigan, you better be physical, so I think that puts you in a great frame of mind to play the right defense.”
That being said, it's not a given that the team will simply be at full strength after replacing the entire defensive coaching staff.
It's not just Martindale, defensive line coach Greg Scruggs, linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary and defensive backs coach Lamar Morgan are all new faces in the building. So they got to know each other the old-fashioned way: by talking in person and working together.
Martindale has said multiple times already this winter that the only time he and his coaches break down film is when Graham, Page and Rod Moore come in with notebooks and start asking questions. he welcomes it.
Not just from the leader, but from everyone. This will be an open door policy as UM looks to repeat its dream season, but that's the way it should be.
“We can get them playing fundamentals and technique faster,” Martindale said. “The biggest thing is communication. It starts in the conference room, in the cafeteria, everywhere. Coach-wise, all of our defensive position staff are new.
“It's all of us communicating with the players and communicating with each other. That's what makes spring ball exciting.”
Contact Tony Garcia: apgarcia@freepress.com.please follow him @RealTonyGarcia.
