WATCH: Michigan coordinators Kirk Campbell, Wink Martindale talk pre-spring ball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale met with the media Friday afternoon, ahead of the start of spring practices, which begin Monday (March 18).
Watch video of Campbell in the player at the top of the screen and Martindale in the embed below. You can also find these videos on our YouTube channel.
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Campbell discussed Michigan senior running back Donovan Edwards, who decided to return for one last season in a winged helmet. He’s the favorite to earn the most carries, and Campbell said the Wolverines will have to use him beyond just as a traditional runner.
“Donovan has assumed a major leadership role on the team, which was needed,” Campbell said. “He looks … I saw him walking through the hall yesterday with a cut-off on, and he looks good. He looks like he’s in shape, he’s ready to play, he’s got a chip on his shoulder, he’s got a way about him — and I’m excited. He got to have the wise words at the end of practice yesterday, and I thought his message couldn’t have been any better about, ‘We gotta continue to work hard and develop and don’t be satisfied with anything.’
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“Excited about him. He’s a guy we’ve gotta make sure we put in a great situation that suits his skill set. He’s going to be different than guys we’ve had in the past, but he’s really good at those other things. We gotta make sure we put him in those situations.”
Martindale, meanwhile, discussed his defensive system that’s similar to what Michigan has had in place the last three seasons under Mike Macdonald (2021) and Jesse Minter (2022-23). Both of those coordinators worked under Martindale with the Baltimore Ravens, and the system has become popular across football.
“The great thing is, we were all together — Mike and Jesse and I, and obviously others you’ve seen throughout the NFL,” Martindale said. “I think there are like six teams that are running this system now, and same thing college wise. Dan Lynn at ‘SC. It’s been a lot of fun, and I think we all have our own personalities. I think we all call games differently than each other. Some are more aggressive, some are less aggressive. The thing that I love about it is the system works. It’s proven that it works.”
