Don Martindale, everyone calls him “Wink.” I recently dove into the background and career of this guy, mainly because he’s now the defensive coordinator for the University of Michigan football team. And guess what? This dude has spent the last 20 years in the NFL! What a journey!
So, I started digging into where this all began. Turns out, Wink started his coaching career right after his college days at Defiance College. It was back in the late 70s and early 80s. I read that he spent five years coaching high school football. That’s where he got the nickname “Wink” – apparently, he walked in his freshman year with a duffel bag that had “Martindale” on it, and the name just stuck.
After his high school coaching stint, I followed his trail to the NFL. He landed a gig with the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. Can you believe it? He was on John Harbaugh’s staff, coaching linebackers for six seasons before he got bumped up to defensive coordinator. That’s a huge step up! Oh, and the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII while he was there. Talk about a highlight!
Then it hit me: I’m checking out his career timeline, and boom, he goes from the Ravens to being the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. I found out that he actually resigned on Monday. It felt like a sudden move, especially after the Giants fired their outside linebackers coach, Drew Wilkins, and his brother. Drama!
- First, I searched for his basic info. Found his birthdate: May 19, 1963.
- Then, I looked up his career history. Started with his high school coaching days.
- Next, I tracked his move to the Ravens, his promotion, and the Super Bowl win.
- After that, I found out about his resignation from the Giants.
Here’s the path I followed to get all this info:
Now, Wink is at the University of Michigan, taking on college football. I read up on how he’s dealing with this new landscape. Apparently, he’s got some strategic approaches to the transfer portal and NIL money. It’s a whole different ball game from the NFL, but it seems like he’s adapting well.
I ended up watching some interviews and reading articles to get a better sense of who Wink is. He’s definitely a seasoned coach with a lot of experience. Moving from the NFL to college football is a big shift, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to make some waves at Michigan. That’s all I’ve got for now on Don “Wink” Martindale.
