Midway through the disastrous 2023 New York Giants season, NFL insider Jay Glazer revealed there was ongoing tension between head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. With the Giants’ season over, new details have emerged.
At the time, Daboll and Martindale both publicly downplayed any issues. However, the story didn’t go away in the final weeks of the regular season. Immediately after Week 18, New York fired outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins and defensive assistant Kevin Wilkins along with two other coaches.
- Brian Daboll coaching record: 15-18-1 with the New York Giants
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Bizarrely, Daboll told reporters at his season-ending press conference that he wanted Martindale to return as the Giants’ defensive coordinator in 2024. Less than 12 hours later, NFL Network and The Athletic reported that Martindale was resigning.
However, New York’s defensive play-caller didn’t submit his resignation on Tuesday and he remains under contract with the Giants. Amid rumors that Daboll can block Martindale from taking specific jobs with another team, this saga has taken another turn.
New details on feud between New York Giants coaches
According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, Martindale went off on Daboll after he learned the Giants’ head coach fired two of his assistants. Upon learning Monday that both Wilkins were fired, Martindale cursed out Daboll, argued against the firings, slammed the door to the coach’s office and then left the building.
Shortly after that, Martindale reportedly told those close to him that he intended to resign. In the hours following that information getting out, the Giants’ organization hasn’t heard from the defensive coordinator and he’s reportedly already flown home.
- New York Giants defense stats: 23.9 PPG allowed (26th in NFL), 37.04% third-down conversion rate (9th), 61.02% opponents’ red-zone TD rate (25th), 5.8 yards per play allowed (28th), -37.29 EXP (26th)
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“There was a feeling in the building that Martindale and Drew Wilkins were creating their own fiefdom within the coaching staff, at times bypassing Daboll and believing they had to answer only to each other and, ultimately, ownership. “
Paul Schwartz on the issues within the New York Giants coaching staff
As Schwartz reported, Daboll’s coaching style is dependent on collaboration with everyone on his staff and that didn’t happen with Martindale and his assistants. Martindale was reportedly very popular with defensive players, but his insistence on praising them publicly even after bad performances reportedly surprised some within the Giants’ organization.
While it’s evident that Martindale has coached his last game for the Giants, his departure and the friction caused inside the building could linger. Considering the issues New York is already dealing with, this just adds to the litany of problems that need to be addressed this offseason.
