UM to hire Martindale as defensive coordinator, bringing NFL experience

A key to Michigan’s highly rated defense the last three years has been continuity of scheme, despite having two different coordinators.

Now, Don “Wink” Martindale, who spent a decade with the Baltimore Ravens and is one of the architects of the defense installed at Michigan, will run the defense as Michigan’s defensive coordinator. A source familiar with the situation confirmed Martindale’s expected hiring to the Detroit News.

The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter early Friday morning.

Martindale, 60, had been a defensive coordinator in Baltimore and more recently with the New York Giants. He has not coached in college since 2003, at Western Kentucky, when he was defensive coordinator/linebackers coach.

He replaces Jesse Minter, who spent the last two seasons with the Wolverines and led them to the No. 1 ranking in 2023 in total defense and scoring defense and played a major role in winning a national championship. Minter, now the Los Angeles Chargers' defensive coordinator on former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff, followed Mike Macdonald, who spent a year at Michigan in 2021 and installed the defense before returning to the Ravens to become defensive coordinator. Minter and Macdonald had learned the defense while on the Ravens’ staff.

First-year Michigan coach Sherrone Moore now has his coordinators in place, Kirk Campbell promoted from Michigan quarterbacks coach as offensive coordinator and now Martindale. Moore was named Michigan’s 21st head coach two weeks ago.

Martindale was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator for the final four of his 10 years on staff and helped design the blitz-heavy defensive system in Baltimore. It’s the defense Macdonald and Minter learned and carried to Michigan, so this move clearly establishes continuity for the Wolverines’ defense. Macdonald coached linebackers from 2018-20 while Martindale was there, and Minter was a defensive assistant in 2018, assistant defensive backs coach in 2019 and then defensive backs coach in 2020.

Last month, Martindale and the Giants agreed to part ways, according to reports, and the Giants kept the $3 million he was owed. During an interview with Giants reporters in 2023, Martindale shared that he doesn’t sugarcoat things with players.

“I do a ‘keep it real’ with everybody on where they’re at and why they’re there, because the last thing I want as a coach is for a player to drive in this parking lot and not know where they stand, especially this time of year,” Martindale said in 2023. “Because I think that we build our relationships, we build our foundation on trust and honesty. I tell them what I think and where they stand, and where the competition is, where the line is. I talk about all that.”

angelique.chengelis@detroitnews.com

@chengelis