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NFL team in play for Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale?

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•01/26/25•

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Wink Martindale
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan Wolverines football defensive coordinator Wink Martindale reportedly interviewed for the same position with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts, but both franchises have gone in different directions. The New Orleans Saints are set to bring in an entirely new staff, though, with the head-coaching job still up for grabs, and one candidate may bring Martindale with him.

According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, “if Mike Kafka gets the Saints [head coaching], job multiple league sources expect him to bring Wink Martindale as his defensive coordinator.”

Martindale, 61, and Kafka worked together with the New York Giants from 2022-23, when the Michigan assistant was the defensive coordinator. Kafka is currently the organization’s offensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

The 37-year-old Kafka just completed an in-person interview with the Saints, and the chances that he lands the job appear to have gone up, with Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady withdrawing from consideration ahead of the AFC championship game.

However, it’s not a done deal that Kafka will be hired, since according to NOLA.com, the Saints are “still expected to meet with former Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore next week.” The organization has also put in a request to interview Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, the former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

The team has met with Kafka, Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.

Martindale has deep ties to the NFL, having spent the previous 20 years in the league before coming to Michigan under head coach Sherrone Moore. He was a coordinator for seven of those seasons in the pros, engineering impressive defenses.

While Michigan lost five games in 2024, Martindale’s defense improved as the season went on and led the way in big-time victories down the stretch, including at Ohio State (13-10) and against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl (19-13).

The Maize and Blue finished 19th nationally in scoring defense (19.9 points per game) and 10th in total defense (307 yards per game), despite playing with an offense that produced only 22 points per contest (113th in the country).

Martindale coordinated the defense at three different stops in the NFL and has worked with four franchises over a 20-year career in the league: New York Giants (2022-23), Baltimore Ravens (2012-21), Denver Broncos (2009-10) and Oakland Raiders (2004-09). Martindale was the coordinator for the Broncos in 2010, served four seasons with the Ravens (2018-21), and spent two years heading up the Giants’ efforts (2022-23).

Across his time in the NFL, Martindale helped his players achieve 22 Pro Bowl seasons and 10 All-Pro campaigns, including four first-team performers in Elvis Dumervil (Denver, 2009; Baltimore, 2014), Terrell Suggs (Baltimore, 2011) and Marlon Humphrey (Baltimore, 2019).

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