Wolverine Digest

Michigan Football: Those 'fire Wink Martindale' calls are real quiet these days

Chris Breiler

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Although there were question marks surrounding the Michigan offense heading into the 2024 season, the expectation was that the defense would be one of the best in the country. Even after losing key pieces like Kris Jenkins, Junior Colson, Mike Barrett, and Mike Sainristil, the Wolverine defense still featured plenty of veteran talent - including three guys who were projected first-round selections (Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Will Johnson).

But as the 2024 season progressed, it quickly became apparent that it wasn't going to be business as usual for the traditionally stingy Michigan defense. Under first year coordinator Wink Martindale, the Wolverines struggled in several key categories and were among the worst in the conference on third down and against the pass. Given the perceived talent on the field, Michigan fans pointed to Martindale as the primary issue, with many fans calling for the veteran defensive coordinator to be fired mid-season.

How quickly things can change.

Michigan Football
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

In the final stretch of the season, Michigan's defense returned back to that dominant force that fans has become accustomed to over the previous three seasons, particularly in the final two games. Against No. 2 Ohio State, the Wolverines held the Buckeyes scoreless in the second half, surrendered just 10 points total, and only allowed 10 total yards in the fourth quarter (nine rushing yards, one passing yard). Against No. 11 Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Wolverines held the Crimson Tide to -2 total yards in the first quarter, forced four turnovers in the first half, and allowed just 13 total points.

That type of defensive dominance would have been impressive regardless of the opponent, but the fact that the Wolverines did it in back-to-back games against AP Top 15 teams was shocking. In fact, Michigan became the first unranked team to win and hold an AP Top 15 team to 15 or fewer points in consecutive games since Arizona accomplished that feat back in 1992, per OptaStats.

Even more impressive is the fact that Michigan achieved that success against Alabama without three projected first-round picks on the defensive side of the ball (Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Will Johnson), while also being without star EDGE Josaiah Stewart and starting safety Makari Paige.

While the players themselves obviously deserve most of the credit for their ability to execute, it's also impossible to ignore the fact that Wink Martindale played a huge role in that success. Head coach Sherrone Moore recently indicated that he doesn't intend to make any additional changes to his staff heading into 2025, which means Martindale will once again be back on the sidelines in Ann Arbor next season. Five weeks ago, most Michigan fans would have likely been disappointed by that reality. But as of Jan. 1, those calls for Martindale to be fired have gone silent.

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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