Giants Head Coaching Preview: Don Martindale

So who exactly is Don "Wink" Martindale, a surprise addition to the Giants head coaching search, and what does he potentially bring to the table?

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

When drawing up a list of potential Giants head coaching candidates, probably not many people had Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale on the list. 

Yet here we are, and here is Martindale, who interviews with the Giants in Baltimore Saturday for their vacancy. 

 Martindale, who served as the Ravens linebackers coach before being promoted to the defensive coordinator position, has seen his defenses ranked in the top-5 league-wide in each of his two seasons as defensive coordinator.

Why He’s an Appealing Candidate

Based on what’s known about Martindale and his plan for an offensive coordinator (LSU’s Joe Brady), let’s say that is a very intriguing pairing.

We’ll start with Martindale, who doesn’t only promise an aggressive, attacking style defense, he has delivered it, his defenses being one of the highest blitzing units in the league.

Martindale has accomplished all this despite injuries to his unit and losing C.J. Mosley in the middle and Za’Darius Smith on the edge. That’s what a good coach does—when he has a setback with his personnel, he improvises without missing a beat.

Martindale is also well respected by his players for his straightforward approach. While some have compared him to the Ryan brothers, both of whom Martindale coached with at different points in his career, it should be noted that the Ryan brothers were well-respected by their players for their passion and intensity--the same of which can be said of Martindale and his Ravens players.

Brady is an exciting choice as offensive coordinator, assuming that comes to fruition. Brady, who was one a member of Sean Payton’s staff in New Orleans, worked wonders with Heisman winner Joe Burrow, who is widely expected to be the top overall pick in this year’s draft.

He’s also the architect of a potent passing offense that led the nation with 48.9 points per game.

The thought of what Brady, who is the second-highest-paid assistant on the LSU staff, might be able to do with Daniel Jones, and the Giants offense makes one drool over the possibilities.

The Giants offense has the talent, but unfortunately, the previous coaching staff couldn’t figure out how to optimize the various skillsets. It would be interesting to see what Brady might be able to do if he got his hands on the Giants' offensive playbook. 

Why the Giants Should Look Elsewhere

Besides the usual questions about experience—Martindale, like many of the Giants coaching candidates has never been a head coach at any level which for a team that desperately needs to get things right this time, is something to strongly consider--some have referred to Martindale as a “Ryans brother lite” version given his personality.

We don’t know Martindale personally to comment on his personality, but it certainly takes a specific type of temperament to deal with the New York media. Does Martindale, who would become the face and voice of the franchise, have that personality? That’s what the Giants hope to find out.

Key Interview Question to Ask

Can you lead an entire locker room?

Leading a position unit or one side of the ball is very different than leading an entire team. While Martindale seems to have an engaging personality, the question, if he’s hired, becomes whether he becomes the players’ buddy.

The good news is that based on what those who cover the Ravens have told The Giant s Maven, Martindale is more of a mix of teacher and mentor who demands accountability and who is also just as generous with the praise as he is with the constructive feedback. 

On the Beat

Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer for The Athletic-Baltimore, was kind enough to spend some time providing insight into the type of person and coach Martindale is, so have a listen.

Also, don’t forget to check out our special edition of the LockedOn Giants podcast in which LockedOn Ravens podcast host Kevin Oestreicher offers his takes on Martindale.