Joel Klatt breaks down Michigan’s staff turnover, Wink Martindale hire

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore’s big first task as head coach: Replacing the defensive staff, many of whom followed Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers. But the young head man is already off to a strong start in the eyes of one Joel Klatt with the hire of Don “Wink” Martindale to be the Wolverines new defensive coordinator.

The hire is a win for several reasons, in Klatt’s eyes, but the main benefit is that by hiring another coach coming out of the Baltimore Ravens zeitgeist means Michigan can keep the defensive philosophy, terminology and recruiting and development tracks similar to what they’ve already established. The prior defensive coordinators at Michigan, Jesse Minter and Mike Macdonald, had both previously worked alongside and under Martindale, who eventually became the Ravens’ defensive coordinator under John Harbaugh.

“And these guys were stars,” Klatt said. “But we all know how successful that style and philosophy was for Michigan over the last three years. Run wall, hard edges, hybrid players in coverage. That’s the philosophy. Reduce it down to its most minimal form, that’s the philosophy. So who do they go hire? Sherrone Moore gets the head job, promoted from within, loses all of the defensive staff and yet gets to hire Wink Martindale who comes from? Baltimore and John Harbaugh. Both Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter coached, cut their teeth, were mentored by Wink Martindale. So philosophy wise, I don’t think a lot is going to change.”

While the structure and overall mode of defense won’t change for Michigan, Martindale may come with a more aggressive streak than his predecessors. He’s more inclined to blitz and get exotic with looks than others, but within the same defensive paradigm that Michigan is familiar with.

And at 60 years old, Martindale immediately brings some elder statesmen credentials to the Michigan staff that’s now younger and, on the defensive side, still to be filled out. Along with Harbaugh taking Minter to Los Angeles, defensive line coach Mike Elston and defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale also went to the NFL with Harbaugh.

But with Martindale as the figurehead, Klatt is less concerned about things falling into place.

With the talent that Michigan retained on defense from the national championship roster, Klatt is bullish about the unit in 2024.

“And that defense should be really good,” Klatt said. “And how do you keep Will Johnson and Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant — they’ve got dudes, that defense is still going to be very good. Keep them in the same philosophy, keep them in the same structure, and that’s what’s going to be happening at Michigan.