New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale was asked about his future with the team during Thursday’s press conference and he said expectations are that he’ll return.
But.
But… Martindale expects some tough conversations in the coming days.
“I know we’ve got the greatest fans in this league and we’ve got the greatest ownership in this league, and you want to have a winner, you deserve to have a winner, and so whenever you are not winning, how this league works, inevitably, you are going to have conversations, tough conversations. How that works out is how that is going to work out,” Martindale said.
“Do I expect to be back? I don’t know why I wouldn’t, but like I said you have those conversations after this last game and you sit back and you can reflect and you take the emotion out of it, the emotion, the grind, the stress of preparing every week and you sit back, and you talk things out. Say here’s where we are at, so I think that’s natural on every team.”
Given what unfolded within the coaching staff this year, it actually seems like a valid question. Martindale reportedly isn’t a fan of Brian Daboll’s “Patriot’s Way” style, something revealed earlier this season.
Wink isn’t the only one to say that Daboll is hard to work for, but when you consider Daboll’s background, it’s unsurprising that he coaches the way he does.
Still, Wink doesn’t want to actually go anywhere, saying last month that he wants to return in 2024. He doesn’t see the Giants as a stepping stone on his journey, he sees it as the destination. At the same time, he still has head coaching aspirations.
“Oh, of course,” Martindale said. “Of course, I want to be a head coach.”
Whether that means he wants to be a head coach for the Giants or not is anyone’s guess, but he definitely wants to stay for 2024. Conversations ahead might be tough, but if that’s his goal then there’s no reason the Giants shouldn’t bring him back next season. His defense struggled at times this year, but they weren’t last in the league (unlike the offense) and they improved as the season went on.
Martindale has had success everywhere he’s been, and what the Giants need more than anything is consistency in the front office. Keeping everyone where they are while addressing adjustments and keeping the lines of communication open will dictate what happens next season.
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