Michigan football defensive coordinator Wink Martindale discussed his defensive strategy on Tuesday.
Michigan football’s fall camp begins on Wednesday, and on Tuesday, defensive coordinator Wink Martindale spoke to the media. Martindale, often referred to as the “Godfather” of Michigan’s defense, has been a key figure in their success over the past three seasons, including helping the Wolverines win a national championship.
However, it’s important to note that every defense is unique, and the play-caller plays a significant role in shaping it. Michigan fans recall the era of Don Brown, and there has been considerable discussion about Martindale being compared to Brown—a comparison Martindale has dismissed.
New Michigan football DC is an “aggressive playcaller”
He mentioned that he plans to be aggressive on Tuesday, emphasizing that being an “aggressive playcaller” has contributed to many of his teams’ victories.
“We’ll control the narrative,” Martindale said via The Wolverine. “Am I an aggressive playcaller? Absolutely. We’ve won a lot of football games with aggressive play-calling. When it doesn’t work, people say, ‘He’s blitzing too much.’ But when you win, all you hear is how ‘creative’ you are. You just have to tune all of that out.
“We’ll find the right balance of pressure, simulated pressures, and everything else. That’s what training camp is for.”
Martindale also expressed his belief in man-to-man coverage but noted that speculation about Michigan football not playing zone coverage as much, or at all, is just that—speculation.
I’m excited to see what Martindale will bring, and expectations are high. As one of the highest-paid defensive coordinators in college football, with multiple first-round picks at his disposal, there are no excuses. After coming from the NFL, I’d be surprised if Martindale’s approach resembles anything like Don Brown’s.
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