It appears the New York Jets have an emerging favorite for their defensive coordinator job.
According to SNY’s Connor Hughes, Michigan defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale is flying to New York for an in-person interview with the Jets on Saturday, after being one of eight candidates to receive a first interview.
Martindale joins Chris Harris as the second candidate to earn a second interview for the role. Harris served as the Jets’ interim DC for the final three games of the 2025 season after Steve Wilks was fired in-season.
Per The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, Martindale is the “early front-runner” to earn the role, and Jets head coach Aaron Glenn even spoke to the 62-year-old before the season ended.
Martindale is one of the most experienced candidates for the role, having spent three stints as a defensive coordinator at the NFL level, with the Denver Broncos (2010), Baltimore Ravens (2018-2021), and New York Giants (2022-2023), while spending the past two seasons in Ann Arbor serving as the Wolverines’ DC.
No doubt, Martindale was a successful coach in the NFL at one point, but he doesn’t fit the bill of a successful modern-day DC, much like Rex Ryan. In his past three seasons as an NFL DC, Martindale’s units ranked in the league’s bottom 10 per DVOA, while his Michigan defenses have struggled mightily against opponents ranked in the nation’s top 25.
While it remains unclear who the Jets will ultimately hire, neither Martindale nor Harris stands out as particularly inspiring.
