Ex-Giants DC Wink Martindale Leaves For Michigan defensive coordinator position.
Coming as no surprise, it looks like Wink Martindale has found another home. Michigan is planning to hire Martindale as their new defensive coordinator. Adam Schefter from ESPN reported this on Friday.
The deal is still being worked out, but there shouldn’t be any issues. Martindale and the Giants parted ways back in January. Our 2023 season was tough, with the defense finishing 27th overall. However, we tied for first in the NFL in turnovers created.
Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale parted ways with the team this week after a heated meeting with head coach Brian Daboll, capping off a disappointing second year together. According to The Post’s Paul Schwartz, Martindale, upset over the firing of assistants Kevin and Drew Wilkins, stormed out after delivering a “f–k you” to Daboll.
This incident was the culmination of a season filled with rumors about their strained partnership as the team fell from playoff contender to NFC East punching bags.
“Wink would just walk in (to a coaches’ meeting) and say something like, ‘When such and such did this, I stayed calm. I just went onto the next play,’” a team source said. “He’d throw stuff out there and see if he could get (Daboll) riled up. Dabes knows it. Dabes isn’t stupid. It would just float on by in the meeting, and nobody would say anything.”
Team Sources as per The New York Post.
At this point, it’s probably best for both parties to part ways. The tension and disagreements have clearly affected the team’s performance and morale. A fresh start could benefit Martindale, giving him the opportunity to find a new environment where he can thrive. Likewise, the Giants can bring in new leadership on defense to help rebuild and set a new direction for the future. Both sides need a clean slate to move forward.