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WATCH: Is Michigan safe from Wink Martindale NFL rumors?

Anthony Broomeby:Anthony Broome•about 10 hours•

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Michigan Wolverines football defensive coordinator Wink Martindale spent 20 years coaching in the NFL. (Photo by Lon Horwedel / TheWolverine.com)
Michigan Wolverines football defensive coordinator Wink Martindale spent 20 years coaching in the NFL. (Photo by Lon Horwedel / TheWolverine.com)

The Michigan Wolverines rounded into form down the stretch defensively thanks to the work of coordinator Wink Martindale. The longtime NFL assistant had some interest from teams in the pros during the hiring cycle, but the interested parties have moved on to other candidates.

Martindale interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts with the Cincinnati Bengals also reportedly showing some interest. The Falcons hired Jeff Ulbrich to the position, while the Colts hired former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

Does that mean it’s time to exhale? Maybe, but not just yet.

TheWolverine.com’s Anthony Broome and Clayton Sayfie discuss the Martindale storyline and dangling offseason plot threads for Michigan football, basketball splitting a pair of overtime games, and your questions.

“What they did this season, I think was impressive, including at the end of the year when they didn’t have all their horses, like Will Johnson for the back half,” Sayfie said on the show. “And then the bowl game with really none of the top players that are going to be going to the NFL next season.

“Some dominoes have fallen in the NFL. I don’t blame him for looking around. I don’t blame NFL teams for saying, ‘Hey, this is a really good NFL coordinator who’s done a good job in this league for a long time that just so happened to take a one-year hiatus and go to college football. Not really master or figure out college football, but do a really good job and show that he is still a fantastic coordinator.’

“And by the way, he left on his own from the New York Giants last year, too. A weird situation there, kind of a falling out with Brian Daboll, their head coach. This isn’t someone that was forced out of the league. It makes sense that there’s some interest. But also makes sense that other guys are in the mix and they earn those jobs.

“Sherrone Moore told some reporters last week at the Michigan High School Coaches Clinic in Lansing that he feels like Wink Martindale wants to stay at Michigan. But of course, he has contingency plans should he move on. Some good news for Michigan fans is that he didn’t land one of these jobs. But maybe not out of the woods yet considering the fact the hiring cycle is still going.”

Watch using the embedded video player above, on our YouTube channel or listen to the audio version wherever you get your podcasts.

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