The New York Giants will have a new coaching staff in place under head coach John Harbaugh when they kick off the 2026 NFL season this fall.
Harbaugh has surrounded himself with acolytes and other successful coaches from around the league in an effort to right the Giants’ listing ship. One coach from his past was not brought in despite much speculation.
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Wink Martindale, who coached under Harbaugh from 2012-2021 with the Ravens in Baltimore, is a free agent after the regime change at Michigan, having served as their defensive coordinator the past two seasons.
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
Washington Commanders (home, away)
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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New York Giants’ 2026 opponents
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Harbaugh decided to hire Dennard Wilson to run the Giants’ defense, instead of bringing Martindale back to New York, where he was Brian Daboll’s defensive coordinator from 2022-23 until he wasn’t.
Martindale and Daboll went their separate ways after butting heads in a very visible blowout. Daboll hired Shane Bowen to replace him.
But Daboll is gone, and Harbaugh is now in charge. He’s opted not to bring back the 62-year-old Martindale, but the feeling is not mutual. Martindale would love to return to East Rutherford.
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“I’d love to finish up, you know, with John. I’d love to come back to the Giants,” Martindale said on the Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast. “College? Not doing it. Not doing it. I’m retired from college football. You can have that. But the pros, specifically the Giants, I can.
“You know, they got a great coordinator (Wilson), and he’s going to do great things there for, you know, for the Giants. He’ll probably be a head coach in two years, so maybe there is that opportunity.”
Wilson was not considered for a head coaching position in this latest round of openings. However, he did interview for the coordinator jobs with the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers, along with the Giants.
Martindale will be 64 by then and perhaps unemployed for two years. His value will not be what it once was. His sudden exit from the Giants is also not lost on many who were in the building at the time. Harbaugh has moved on, and maybe Martindale should, too.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Wink Martindale ‘would love’ to return to New York Giants