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Controversial Ex-Giants Coach Gets Interview With Rival

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Anthony Licciardi | Last updated Jan 14, 2025 6:16 PM ET

The New York Giants have a knack for letting talent out of the building, only to find them flourishing in their new homes. It’s not always fair, and it’s not always their fault. But from safety Xavier McKinney to running back Saquon Barkley and guard Ben Bredeson, leaving New York has become a catalyst of success.

The same might be able to be said for the coaching staff.

New York seems keen on keeping offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen around for 2025. The latter replaced Don “Wink” Martindale, who could make a return to the NFL in the coming days.

According to Tom Pelissero, Martindale interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday.

Martindale was the Giants defensive coordinator for the first two years of head coach Brian Daboll’s regime (2022–2023).

In 2022, New York ranked 28th in expected points added per play and 16th in success rate, suggesting that explosive plays were a glaring weakness. Only the Cleveland Browns fared worse against the run. A year later, the Giants ranked 22nd and 29th by those same marks, respectively, and 29th against the run.

Daboll and Martindale were rumored to have a controversial falling out at season’s end, leading to the two parting ways. The respected defensive mind spent the 2024 season with the Michigan Wolverines.

Martindale is known for an aggressive defense with plenty of Cover-0 blitzes and a fair share of drop-eight coverages out of the same looks – not unlike Minnesota Vikings coordinator Brian Flores. It was a downhill scheme that was predicated on aggressiveness, and it had its flashes despite the glaring big-play and ground-game issues.

Martindale is also expected to interview for the vacant defensive coordinator spot with the Indianapolis Colts.

New York does not play either of the Falcons or Colts in 2025.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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