Don "Wink" Martindale is his second season as the Giants' defensive coordinator, his 19th season in the NFL and his 36th year in coaching.
In 2023, Martindale was one of three recipients of the Pro Football Writer Association's Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman Award, which is presented for lifetime achievement as an NFL assistant coach. The award is named for Zimmerman, who covered the NFL for 29 years as Sports Illustrated's lead pro football writer. The other honorees John Mitchell, who retired following the 2022 season after 31 years as an NFL defensive line coach, including 28 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the late Bobb McKittrick, an offensive line coach in the league from 1971-99, who coached in five Super Bowls.
In Martindale's first year as coordinator in 2022, the Giants allowed 45 fewer points and recorded seven more sacks than they had the previous season, a major reason their victory total increased by five games, and they earned their first playoff berth since 2016 and won their first playoff game since 2011. The Giants ranked fifth in the NFL in third-down defense, as their opponents converted just 35.1% of their opportunities. They ranked fifth in the NFL in red-zone defensive efficiency in 2022.
The 2022 Giants ranked fifth in the NFL in third-down defense, as their opponents converted just 35.1% of their opportunities. The Giants allowed 45 fewer points and recorded seven more sacks than they had the previous season, a major reason their victory total increased by five games, and they earned their first playoff berth since 2016.
Dexter Lawrence had a team and career-high 7.5 sacks, was selected a second-team all-pro and was one of the NFL's most dominant defensive linemen. Rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux was a Pro Bowl alternate, received an NFC Defensive Player of the Week Award and steadily improved as the season progressed. Despite injuries that forced them to miss games, lineman Leonard Williams, cornerback Adoree' Jackson and safety Xavier McKinney excelled in Martindale's "position-less" defense.
Martindale, 60, joined the Giants after spending the previous 10 seasons on the Baltimore Ravens' coaching staff, the last four as defensive coordinator. During Martindale's tenure in Baltimore, the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII and consistently had one of the NFL's best defenses. His unit ranked in the top three in the NFL in points allowed in each of his first three seasons, and first, fourth and seventh, respectively, in yardage yielded while never finishing lower than eighth against the run or the pass.
In 2021, Martindale's defense led the NFL against the run, allowing 84.5 yards a game. Baltimore's opponents converted only 34.8% of their third-down chances, the league's third-best figure.
In Martindale's first three seasons as coordinator (2018-20), Baltimore permitted both the league's fewest points (18.2 a game) and total yards per game (307.8) and was tied for the league lead with 12 defensive touchdowns. In those three years, Baltimore led the league in number of players to record a sack (33) and second-half points allowed (401), while ranking No. 2 in both fourth-down stops (41) and opponent QB rating (81.9).
Martindale's 2019 defense ranked fourth in the league by allowing 300.6 yards and helped the Ravens finish with a franchise-best 14-2 record and second straight AFC North Division title. The Ravens' six defensive touchdowns were tied for the second most in franchise history.
In his first season as coordinator in 2018, the Ravens yielded an NFL-best 292.9 yards-per-game and established a modern-era mark by not allowing a second-half touchdown in the first six games of the season (the last team to do so was the 1934 Detroit Lions.) Martindale was recognized by Sports Illustrated/MMQB as the Assistant Coach of the Year and was the AP NFL runner-up for the same award. The Ravens ranked third in third-down defense (34.1%), fourth in rushing yards allowed (82.9 yards per game) and fifth in passing yards permitted (210.0 a game).
Martindale joined the Ravens in 2012, as linebackers coach. In his first season in Baltimore, Martindale coached Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis and helped the Ravens defeat San Francisco in the Super Bowl.
Martindale helped develop numerous standout Ravens linebackers. C.J. Mosley in 2014 became the first Ravens rookie to earn Pro Bowl honors and finished second in the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Daryl Smith was a standout performer for Baltimore, joining Lavonte David as the only NFL players to post at least 350 tackles, 5.0 sacks, five interceptions and four forced fumbles 2013-15.
Martindale was the Denver Broncos' linebackers coach in 2009 and defensive coordinator in 2010. In his first season with the team, he helped the Denver defense rank seventh in the NFL (allowing 315.0 yards a game). Outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil led the NFL with a then-team-record 17.0 sacks and was a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro selection. The next year, he coordinated a defense that included two Hall of Famers in cornerback Champ Bailey and safety Brian Dawkins.
Martindale originally entered the NFL in 2004, the first of five seasons in which he coached linebackers for the Oakland Raiders. Martindale tutored linebackers Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard who combined from 7 INTs from 2006-2008. In 2006 Oakland's defense ranked 3rd in the NFL in yardage (284.8 YPG) and first against the pass (150.8 yards-per-game)
Martindale began his coaching career in 1986 at his alma mater Defiance College in Ohio, where he coached the secondary in his debut season and added defensive coordinator duties the following year.
From 1988-93, Martindale was a defensive coordinator at three Ohio high schools, including his alma mater, Trotwood-Madison.
He returned to college coaching as a defensive assistant at Notre Dame from 1994-95. Martindale also coached at the University of Cincinnati, Western Illinois and Western Kentucky before entering the NFL. Martindale also helped Western Kentucky earn a Division I FCS National Championship in 2002.
Martindale played safety for Defiance, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business education. He was an all-state linebacker and baseball player at Trotwood-Madison.
Martindale and his wife, Laura, have a daughter, Cassie, and a son, Ty. Martindale has one granddaughter, Gigi.
1986 Defiance College Secondary
1987 Defiance College Defensive Coordinator/Secondary
1988-93 Ohio high schools Defensive Coordinator
1994-95 University of Notre Dame Defensive Assistant
1996 University of Cincinnati Defensive Ends
1997-98 University of Cincinnati Special Teams coordinator/Linebackers
1999 Western Illinois University Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2001-02 Western Kentucky University Special Teams Coord./Inside Linebackers
2003 Western Kentucky Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
2004-08 Oakland Raiders Linebackers
2009 Denver Broncos Linebackers
2010 Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator
2012-17 Baltimore Ravens Linebackers
2018-21 Baltimore Ravens Defensive Coordinator
2022-23 New York Giants Defensive Coordinator
