Ohio State vs. Michigan: Impact on the College Football Playoffs
Michigan Wolverines football defensive coordinator Wink Martindale took a 20-year hiatus from college football while coaching in the NFL, including seven seasons as a coordinator. However, he has had a great time in Ann Arbor this offseason before entering his first year with the Wolverines.
Martindale spent time not only with the head coach Sherron Moore but some of the defensive players during his trip to Ann Arbor before officially accepting the job, and the passion that emanated from the athletes caught his attention.
“These guys want to win; that’s the first thing that attracted me to this job.” Martindale said on the Champions Circle Leaders Series with Jake Butt. “What surprised me, because 20 years have passed and I didn’t know what I was going to return to, is that these guys love football.
“And I said this the other day, I was talking about (junior cornerback) Will Johnson, who is a very humble kid who has so many things going for him that he doesn’t even know it yet, and that’s a good thing, because of the way he works. As much as we do in terms of football within the program, I will see Will during a timeout with 10 or 12 teammates who are working alone.
“And I don’t care what they say, I don’t think that’s seen anywhere. I really don’t. No, no, no, especially in the NFL. They could do it somewhere else besides the facility. I’m just talking about the facilities, these guys are working. And Sherrone has spent time this spring here at the end trying to calm them down, because they just chase him. “They love football.”
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Martindale worked with former Michigan coordinator Jesse Minter with the Baltimore Ravens, and the two have discussed the UM program. Minter told him that “every day is Tuesday.” which is code for the Wolverines working hard and playing a physical style of football on a daily basis.
“It is from Monday to Sunday. It’s a beautiful thing, but you better have your mind set to come to work as soon as you walk into that building,” Martindale said. “If you’re a football purist, if you really love football, you would love Michigan football. “I’ve enjoyed every day I’ve been there, because I don’t want to let them down for their love of the game.”
Martindale also wants to do right by his staff. defensive line coach Luis Espositolinebackers coach Brian Jean-Maria and defensive backs coach La Mar Morgan They are working with him on his side of the ball and Martindale has been impressed with the trio and the entire coaching group.
“The same goes for the assistants,” the coach continued. “Lou Esposito, LaMar Morgan and BJ, Brian Jean-Mary (I say it right, he tells me I say it right all the time) I’m inspired by the way they work in recruiting and also coach their kids. And the older you get, the harder it is to be inspired. The way they work with these kids and the way they work on recruiting has been a lot of fun.
“It has been a lot of work. You can see the commitments we are making and the work they do. They work very hard, like I told my wife, I want to use my card of, ‘No, I’m not doing that.’ I could never say that because I don’t want to disappoint them. It’s been great, I’m ready to go on vacation too. And they are too.”
Martindale was attracted to Moore immediately, from the two-hour phone conversations they had to the more than two-hour meeting in Ann Arbor. Moore led Michigan to four wins as interim head coach last season, so he has game experience, and Martindale feels it’s been a smooth transition now that he has day-to-day control of the program.
“His passion, not toward Michigan, but toward kids, made me think, ‘This is my guy.’ He wants to do everything right for the players and what is the best way to do it for the players,” Martindale explained.
“If you love football, you love Michigan football because it represents what is right.”
Wink Martindale: ‘The national championship is over’
Michigan players have made a conscious effort to eliminate signs of complacency following last season’s national championship and 15-0 record. Martindale noted that the Wolverines have a big target on their backs, but are working toward more success.
“Every year is different. We know instead of ‘Road To Atlanta’, live 11-on-11 periods (former Michigan head coach) Jim (Harbaugh)) had done it and Sherrone has continued through spring ball, or the ‘Beat Ohio’ period that we’ve had in 9-on-7 and things like that, now people are doing that for Michigan,” Martindale said. “And what you’re going to discover with these kids is that it’s going to be difficult, but I’m not panicking. It’s not like they’re just sitting on their laurels. They want to do it again with their leader, Sherrone.
“The national championship is over. And there will be different falls in every season you have (anyone who has played sports knows that) and I just know that with the character and the quality of leadership that we have we will be able to face those things head on.”
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