Wink Martindale sends warning to Giants fans about John Harbaugh era

Longtime football coach Don "Wink" Martindale knows plenty about both recently hired New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh and about Harbaugh's current employer. 

Martindale was an assistant on Harbaugh's staff for the Baltimore Ravens team that won Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013, and he later served as the defensive coordinator for both the Ravens and the Giants. During an appearance on the latest edition of the "Talkin' Ball with Pat Leonard" podcast, Martindale sent somewhat of a warning to Giants fans who are banking on Harbaugh leading the franchise to glory as soon as next winter. 

Giants fans should renew their season tickets, but...

"It’s gonna take time," Martindale explained. "Building a culture the way [Harbaugh] knows a championship culture needs to be, it’s gonna take time. But all my friends that are Giants fans there that I’ve talked to, I told them to be fired up and renew their season tickets."

Martindale's comments are understandable, as part of the Giants' current culture involves going 13-38 under the watch of general manager Joe Schoen from Week 1 of the 2023 season through January 2026. Most recently, the Giants won only four games this past campaign. 

That said, the Giants marrying Harbaugh with second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart has players and fans excited about what could be to come for the franchise. Meanwhile, it's become clear that Harbaugh is truly running the Giants' football operations this offseason, as he reports directly to team co-owner John Mara and not to Schoen.

Wink Martindale confident that Giants fans will love John Harbaugh

"My first reaction [when the Giants hired Harbaugh] was I know Mr. Mara’s going through some tough times right now, and how happy I was for Mr. Mara and the family that they were able to get [Harbaugh]," Martindale said in reference to Mara's cancer diagnosis. "[Harbaugh] is a great football coach. He’s gonna be in the Hall of Fame. ...He’s a proven winner. It’s gonna be different for him. Being in a place as long as he was, it’s gonna be different. But I just know he’s gonna succeed."

Martindale may be right, but it also sounds like he believes Harbaugh will need more than one offseason to become a success with a franchise that has notched just one playoff victory since the start of the 2012 season.