Wink Martindale defensive scheme: Records, stats and more explored

The Michigan Wolverines announced the hiring of Wink Martindale as their new defensive coordinator on Friday.

Michigan needed to replace Jesse Minter after he followed Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers. New coach Sherrone Moore moved quickly to hire Martindale, who parted ways with the New York Giants after spending two years as the defensive coordinator.

Martindale is a bold hire by the Wolverines, but his defensive system should work well in Michigan. Let's explore why.

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Wink Martindale's defensive scheme

Wink Martindale's defensive scheme is an aggressive, blitz-heavy style, which had a ton of success with the Baltimore Ravens.

Martindale likes to get after the quarterback early, but to do that, he needs to have faith in his secondary to go man-on-man with the wide receivers. That was a problem last year with the New York Giants.

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Wink Martindale's defensive rankings

Wink Martindale was one of the top defensive coordinators in the NFL during his tenure with the Baltimore Ravens.

In 2018, his defense was sixth best in yards per game and ranked first in points against. He followed that up allowing the third-fewest yards per game and the third fewest points per game in 2019.

In 2020, Martindale's defense ranked first in yards per game and second in points per game. His three-year run with the Ravens was some of the best in the NFL.

With the Giants, his defense struggled, but his aggressive style showed. Last year, Martindale's defense finished 27th in total defense, 29th against the run and 26th in scoring defense, but it was tied for the league-best in takeaways (31).

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Why did Wink Martindale leave the Giants?

Wink Martindale and the New York Giants opted to mutually part ways. According to reports, Martindale cursed out coach Brian Daboll and stormed out of the building after the Giants fired outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins and Wilkins' younger brother, Kevin, a defensive assistant on staff.

Martindale was reportedly already frustrated with the Giants and New York firing two of his coaches didn't sit well with him, so he opted to resign.

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Michigan's coaching staff

Following the hiring of Wink Martindale as their defensive coordinator, the Michigan Wolverines have filed out their coaching staff:

Head coach: Sherrone Moore

Offensive coordinator: Kirk Campbell

Defensive coordinator: Wink Martindale

Wide receivers: Ron Bellamy

Defensive backs: Steve Clinkscale

Special teams: J.B. Brown

Offensive line: Grant Newsome

Run game: Mike Hart