Michigan has 2.3 million reasons to hope its NFL-to-Ann Arbor pipeline continues to produce
Michigan has made former New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale the highest-paid assistant in college football.
According to a report from The Athletic’s Austin Meek, Michigan signed its new DC to a 3-year contract that will pay him $2.3 million in 2024, $2.5 million in 2025, and $2.7 million in 2026. That base salary is expected to make Martindale the highest-paid assistant coach in college football. Last season, according to USA Today’s public database, Clemson’s Garrett Riley led all assistants with a $2.05 million salary. Ohio State’s Jim Knowles made $1.96 million to rank third.
Sherrone Moore and Jesse Minter both made $1.15 million last season in their respective coordinator roles at Michigan. Had he stayed, Minter was slated to earn $1.2 million in 2024. The pair ranked 38th and 39th for assistant salaries at public schools, according to USA Today’s database.
With Jim Harbaugh leaving to take the Los Angeles Chargers job and Michigan replacing him with Moore, the program saved some serious change. Harbaugh was paid $8.25 million last season. In 2024, Moore is reportedly set to make $5.5 million. That difference went to the assistant salary pool, as one would expect from a program that wants to remain atop the sport.
Martindale’s three-year deal is reportedly fully guaranteed. He’s been at the NFL level since 2004, and getting him to return to the college game wasn’t cheap.
Michigan paid a premium to continue its NFL-to-Ann Arbor pipeline. And Moore has 2.3 million reasons to hope it continues to yield results.
To be clear, there’s no reason to doubt the process at this point.
Michigan had a bad defense by Michigan standards in 2020, when it finished the year 54th in efficiency and 95th in scoring. Harbaugh replaced Don Brown with Mike Macdonald, who had served as an assistant on the Baltimore Ravens’ staff from 2014-20.
Under Macdonald, Michigan jumped to 14th in efficiency and eighth in scoring. More importantly, the Wolverines beat Ohio State and won the program’s first undisputed Big Ten championship since 2003. When Macdonald went back to the NFL following the season, Harbaugh replaced him with Minter, an assistant with the Ravens from 2017-20.
This spring marks Martindale’s first time coaching college football since 2003, when he coordinated the Western Kentucky defense. From 2012-21, he was with Harbaugh’s brother, John, on the Ravens’ defensive staff.
Martindale calls himself the “OG” behind the scheme that Macdonald brought to Michigan and Minter built upon. He has a different personality from them. He’ll call the game differently. But don’t expect wholesale changes.
“The great thing is we were all together,” Martindale told reporters last week. “The system works. It’s proven that it works. I think both Mike and Jesse did a tremendous job here at Michigan. It’s fun for me to watch the tape because you do become the proud parent, if you will.”
If Michigan had to pay top dollar to keep the good times rolling, that’s a gamble worth taking.
Minter’s defense last season gave up the fewest points per game of any FBS defense. Michigan was fourth nationally in yards allowed per play, fourth nationally in takeaways created, and seventh nationally in third down defense. It wasn’t a high-pressure outfit and that might change under Martindale to a degree, but the principles and the core terminology all remain.
That’s valuable.
Michigan, 128th in returning production this season, will have new players stepping into new roles all over the field. On defense, each of the top 4 snap-getters from last fall is gone. Keeping as much continuity as possible proved to be important for Moore as he transitioned to the role of head coach.
The Wolverines are priced at +1600 to win the national championship in 2024. They currently have the eighth-shortest odds at FanDuel, and the third-shortest among Big Ten teams. There are questions about Michigan’s ability to repeat next season, but if Martindale provides an answer, he’ll prove to be worth every penny.
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