Wink Martindale - Football Coach - University of Michigan Athletics

Wink Martindale

Title:
Matt and Nicole Lester Family Defensive Coordinator

Don 'Wink' Martindale is his second season as the Matt and Nicole Lester Family Defensive Coordinator for the University of Michigan Football program in 2025. The architect of the defense Michigan ran from 2021-23 before his arrival, Martindale joined the Wolverines’ 2024 staff after spending the past 19 years in the NFL.

In his first year with the program in 2024, U-M ranked 10th nationally in total defense and in defensive SP+. The Wolverines were top-25 in seven statistical categories, highlighted by a No. 5-ranked rushing defense that kept eight teams under 100 yards. The defense rose to the challenge down the stretch, allowing just six total second-half points across the final four games.

Defensive lineman Mason Graham was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy and earned consensus first-team All-American honors. Defensive back Will Johnson (second team) and defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (third team) were also named All-Americans. U-M had four All-Big Ten honorees: Graham, Grant, Johnson, and edge rusher Josaiah Stewart, who posted sacks at the second-highest rate in the Big Ten (0.77 per game).

Martindale has 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).

In New York, he helped the organization reached the playoffs in 2022, winning the Wild Card round against Minnesota before losing to eventual Super Bowl runner-up Philadelphia. Martindale was honored with the 2023 Paul 'Dr. Z' Zimmerman Award, which is presented for lifetime achievement as an NFL assistant coach.

Martindale began a 10-year run with the Baltimore Ravens organization as part of head coach John Harbaugh’s staff, consistently producing some of the NFL’s best defensive units. Martindale coached the inside linebackers for four seasons (2012-15) before leading the entire linebacking unit for two seasons (2016-17) and ending with a four-year run as defensive coordinator (2018-21). In his first season with the franchise, the Ravens went on to win Super Bowl XLVII as hall of famer Ray Lewis posted an NFL-leading 51 tackles in the postseason for a defense that forced 10 turnovers during that stretch.

The Ravens compiled a 43-22 record during that time and his units ranked in the top three in the NFL in points allowed in each of his first three seasons as a coordinator, and first, fourth, and seventh, respectively, in yardage yielded while never finishing lower than eight against the run or the pass.

In Martindale’s first three seasons as a coordinator, Baltimore permitted both the league’s fewest points (18.2 avg.) and total yards per game (307.8) and was tied for the league lead with 12 defensive touchdowns. The Ravens led the league in number of players to record a sack (33) and second-half points allowed (401) during those three seasons while ranking No. 2 in fourth-down stops (41) and opponent QB rating (81.9). His 2021 defense led the NFL against the run, allowing 84.5 yards a game. Baltimore’s opponents converted only 34.8% of third down chances, the league’s third-best figure.

Martindale’s 2019 defense ranked fourth in the NFL by allowing 300.6 yards and helped the Ravens finish with a franchise-best 14-2 record and second straight AFC North Division title. The team’s six defensive touchdowns were tied for the second-most in franchise history.

In 2018, the Ravens yielded an NFL-best 292.9 yards per game and established a modern-era mark by not allowing a second-half touchdown in the first six games of the season. Martindale was recognized by Sports Illustrated/MMQB as the Assistant Coach of the Year and was the AP NFL runner-up for the same award.

Martindale joined the Broncos’ staff as linebackers coach in 2009 and aided a unit in Denver that ranked seventh in the NFL in yards per game. He mentored Elvis Dumervil, who led the league in sacks (17), to Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in his first year playing linebacker. In 2010, Martindale was promoted to defensive coordinator and worked with eventual hall of famers Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins.

In 2004, he made the move to the NFL and spent five seasons coaching linebackers for the Oakland Raiders (2004-08). Martindale spent his first two seasons working with the inside linebackers and assumed the entire linebacking corps over his final three seasons with the organization.

Martindale spent 12 years in the college ranks including eight as a defensive coordinator. In that time, his players produced 30 all-conference honors and six I-AA All-American citations.

Prior to jumping to the NFL with the Raiders, Martindale was an assistant coach for three seasons (2001-03) at Western Kentucky under head coach Jack Harbaugh. Martindale was the special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach during his first two seasons, which included WKU’s run to the 2002 Division I FCS National Championship. He was promoted to defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for the 2003 season, where the unit ranked sixth nationally in yards allowed per game.

Martindale was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Western Illinois (1999). He spent three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati, beginning his tenure as the defensive ends coach (1996), and was promoted to special teams coordinator and linebackers coach during the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

He worked as a defensive assistant coach at Notre Dame during the 1994 and 1995 seasons, with the Irish earning trips to the Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl during his tenure.

Martindale played safety and linebacker at Defiance College, earning his bachelor’s degree in business education. He spent two years coaching at his alma mater, coaching the secondary during the 1986 and 1987 seasons. Martindale was elevated to defensive coordinator during his final season with the program.

A Dayton, Ohio, native, Martindale was an all-state linebacker at Trotwood-Madison High School.

Martindale and his wife, Laura, are the parents of a daughter, Cassie, and son, Ty. They are the grandparents to Gigi, the daughter of Cassie, and son-in-law Randy Young.

THE MARTINDALE FILE
Full Name: Don 'Wink' Martindale
Birthdate: May 19, 1963
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
High School: Trotwood-Madison
Bachelor's Degree: Defiance College (1984, Business Education)
Wife: Laura
Children: daughter, Cassie; son, Ty

COACHING EXPERIENCE

Year	School	Position
1986-87	Defiance	Defensive Coordinator
1994-95	Notre Dame	Assistant
1996-98	Cincinnati	Special Teams, Linebackers
1999	Western Illinois	Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers
2000-03	Western Kentucky	Defensive Coordinator, Inside Linebackers
2004-08	Oakland Raiders	Linebackers
2009	Denver Broncos	Linebackers
2010	Denver Broncos	Defensive Coordinator
2012-17	Baltimore Ravens	Linebackers
2018-21	Baltimore Ravens	Defensive Coordinator
2022-23	New York Giants	Defensive Coordinator
2024-	Michigan	Defensive Coordinator