Sherrone Moore Sets Expectations Straight From Wink Martindale-Led Defense After Recovering From Jim Harbaugh’s Poaching

After the chaos that Jim Harbaugh left behind in his wake, it was up to new head coach Sherrone Moore to try to hold the fort down, and it looks like he’s just brought in new soldiers to help. Jim Harbaugh announced his exit from the Michigan Wolverines after the 2023 season, but while the fans wished him the best, they certainly didn’t expect the team’s staff to be shattered due to his exit.

Jim Harbaugh, the former HC for the Wolverines, was with the team for over nine seasons before he left to join the LA Chargers in the NFL. The 2023 season saw the Wolverines’ most dominant run ever. Under Harbaugh’s leadership, the team went 15 matches undefeated and won the national championship. However, when Moore was anointed in place of Harbaugh, the other coaches jumped ship and followed him to the Chargers. The coaches that left were Ben Herbert, Jesse Minter, and Jay Harbaugh, and thus, the Wolverines took a massive hit to the roster. Now, Moore has made an excellent move in the hopes of damage control by bringing in Wink Martindale and a new coaching staff.

Sherrone Moore announces the signing of Wink Martindale and four new defensive coaches

In the latest news, Michigan will hire the ex-defensive coordinator for the New York Giants to come and improve Moore’s squad. Not too long ago, the Wolverines’ former DC Jesse Minter announced his decision to leave the team and follow Harbaugh’s footsteps to join the LA Chargers. Now, Moore has brought in Don Martindale to replace what Minter left behind.

Sherrone Moore excitedly announced Martindale’s joining and talked about the four other coaches coming on board. He said, “I am excited about the quality of the coaches that we have assembled on the defensive side of the football. Men of great character who love the game of football and are tremendous teachers. They will put our defensive players in a great position to succeed on and off the field. I am excited to work with this outstanding group of assistant coaches as we pursue championships for the University of Michigan.“

Moreover, Moore will welcome defensive line coach Greg Scruggs, linebackers coach coordinator Brian Jean-Mary, defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan, and former defensive back Brad Hawkins as a graduate assistant coach. The Wolverines are redefining the roster after Harbaugh’s exit and the coaches he took along with him. So far, Moore seems on the right track to prepare the team for the next season. But while this is undoubtedly good news for Michigan, here’s a look at why Martindale left the Giants in the first place.

The strenuous relationship between Giants’ HC Brian Dabes and Wink Martindale

The New York Giants had quite a poor season-ending performance last season. They finished their run by a record of 6-11, which became the primary cause of conflict between Dabes and Martindale. It was reported that Martindale stormed out of the room after cursing the HC the next day after the Giants ended their season. Considering their equation, the former center for the Giants, Jon Feliciano, weighed in with his thoughts.

He said, “I think they’re both strong personalities and as you’ve seen, Dabes can explode. As a guy that knows him, I know what you’re gonna get, and it’s not like a personal thing, it’s not anything but Dabes wants to win real, real bad. Even in Buffalo, he has more weight on his shoulders now that he’s the head coach. What did he do wrong that’s messing up the moment? And Wink is a strong dude. That’s probably what happened.” Thus, the Dabes-Martindale conflict could’ve been the primary cause for his exit but eventually became a blessing in disguise for Sherrone Moore.

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Will Martindale end up scaling Michigan to new heights? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.