NFL teams eyeing Wink Martindale have filled DC positions

For a decade, save for one year, Michigan football fans had to deal with yearly speculation as to whether former head coach Jim Harbaugh would depart his alma mater for the NFL — basically as quickly as Harbaugh had been hired to coach in Ann Arbor. After 10 seasons, the yearly speculation became reality when Harbaugh left the Wolverines, following a national championship, to lead the Los Angeles Chargers.

And yet again, fans are on the look out to see whether or not Michigan can keep a member of the coaching staff from bolting back to the pro ranks.

Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale was a longtime mainstay in the NFL but Sherrone Moore made a big splash bringing him back to the college game after decades away from it. It was a rocky start in many respects, as his defenses gave up big points to teams like Texas and Oregon, but Martindale settled in, holding Ohio State to just 10 points in Columbus and Alabama to 13 points at the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa.

It seemed safe to say that Martindale would return in 2025, but then the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts requested interviews with him to fill their vacant DC positions. However, since, the Falcons announced Jeff Ulbrich as their new DC and on Monday, the Colts announced Lou Anarumo to fill their vacant position.

The NFL coaching carousel is still working itself out, however, with the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New Orleans Saints still needing head coaches, and thus defensive coordinators. If any of them poach a DC from elsewhere, there will be even more vacancies.

So, for now, Michigan football fans can take a medium breath, knowing that the two teams that had obvious interest in Martindale have filled their jobs. But until we get deeper into the cycle — perhaps a month from now — we won’t know for sure whether or not Martindale is assuredly set to return to Ann Arbor for another year.