College Football

Joel Klatt: Why Wink Martindale is a perfect hire for Michigan

Updated Feb. 14, 2024 12:13 p.m. ET

When it was announced that Jim Harbaugh was leaving the University of Michigan to coach the Los Angeles Chargers back on Jan. 24, there was a strong belief he would take several top assistants with him to L.A.

Fast-forward three weeks, and the Michigan football program has been tasked with completing a total coaching overhaul on the defensive side of the ball after Jesse Minter (defensive coordinator), Mike Elston (defensive line coach) and Steve Clinkscale (defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator) all announced they were following Harbaugh to Los Angeles.

The first major step in that process has been completed as Don "Wink" Martindale has agreed to become the Wolverines' defensive coordinator.

Martindale worked on the Baltimore Ravens' staff from 2012-2021 under John Harbaugh, serving as the organization's defensive coordinator from 2018-2021. He is part of the same coaching tree that produced former Michigan defensive coordinators Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter. In fact, both Minter and Macdonald were mentored by Martindale during their time coaching together.

This is a great hire by Sherrone Moore as he transitions into his first Division I head coaching job. Martindale, who has 19 years of NFL coaching experience, will not only bring veteran leadership to this newly revamped Wolverines staff, but also allow Michigan to build on that same philosophy and style the program has developed during its three-year College Football Playoff run, which of course concluded with a national title this past season.

Michigan hires Wink Martindale as new defensive coordinator

Under Harbaugh's guidance, Michigan began recruiting to and developing to a very specific philosophy, and now with the hire of Martindale, this program gets to stay in that same specific system, which is extremely important.

The veteran leadership component of this hire is also important because it's valuable for Moore to surround himself with experienced coaches whom he can lean on.

The fit is really good here, which is why I like this hire. But the work is far from done. Now, Moore and Martindale are going to have to work together to hire an entire defensive staff while maintaining the philosophy and schematics of what the Michigan defense has been over the last couple of years.

From a personnel standpoint, this group should be really good once again in 2024 with the likes of Will Johnson, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant returning.

Johnson has developed into one of the top cornerbacks in the country, earning first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-America honors this past season. Meanwhile, Graham and Grant were standouts on the defensive line, with Graham taking home defensive MVP honors in the Wolverines' Rose Bowl win over Alabama.

It is crucial for Michigan to keep those players in Ann Arbor for the 2024 season, and the best way to do so is to hire a good defensive coordinator who will keep them in the same philosophy and same structure, and that's exactly what's going to be happening at Michigan.

Joel Klatt is FOX Sports' lead college football game analyst and the host of the podcast "The Joel Klatt Show." Follow him on X/Twitter at @joelklatt and subscribe to the "Joel Klatt Show" on YouTube.