The coaching staff of the Michigan Wolverines has undergone a significant transition. Many of Jim Harbaugh’s coaches, notably defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, left for the NFL. Sherrone Moore, the head coach, found the ideal replacement in a top-tier coordinator. Wink Martindale, a former defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, is apparently accepting the position.
Since 2003, Martindale has not been a college coach. Having played in the NFL for the last 20 years, he has a wealth of expertise. Throughout his career, he has served as the defensive coordinator for the Giants, Ravens, and Broncos. The figures from this past season don’t look good, but they don’t tell the complete story. Although New York’s defence was tied for #1 in turnovers produced, it was ranked 17th overall. The offence found it difficult to score points, therefore the unit was also the strongest aspect of the team.
In Ann Arbour, get ready for a tonne of blitzing. Martindale’s blitz packets are renowned for being heavy. For the players, this means there shouldn’t be a steep learning curve. A variation of Martindale’s defence was employed by Minter and Mike MacDonald, the former Michigan DC.
The Wolverines have the players to manage the defence because their defensive line is among the best and they can cover well. This is a big hire, however there are still some unanswered issues about the coaching staff.
The Michigan Wolverines can rejoice since there is no longer any pressure. Everything that happens after this is just icing on the cake—they won the championship.
