Giants Assistant Coach Tracker: Don ‘Wink’ Martindale earns DC role

02/09/2022

Brian Daboll has various decisions to make regarding his new Giants staff.

The Brian Daboll era is upon us.

The New York Giants hired their new head coach last Friday and officially introduced him Monday. Daboll is expected to help turn this franchise around following a five-year period of losing that included three different head coaches.

The work starts now, as Daboll is looking to construct a new staff.

Which assistants has the 46-year-old recruited to East Rutherford?

Offensive Coordinator — Mike Kafka

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Giants have nabbed Mike Kafka as their new offensive coordinator. There was the belief the Giants could’ve hired now-former Bills quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey to fill this position, but Dorsey ultimately took Buffalo’s OC job following Brian Daboll’s departure.

The #Giants are expected to hire #Chiefs QB coach Mike Kafka as their offensive coordinator, sources tell me and @RapSheet. Deal not done yet but that's the way it's headed.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 3, 2022

Kafka was previously the Chiefs quarterbacks coach from 2018-21 and was also the passing game coordinator the last two seasons. He will now be working with an offense that Joe Judge, Jason Garrett, and Freddie Kitchens essentially ran into the ground the last two years (the Giants were second-to-last in both total yards and points in either season).

Kafka has various weapons — Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay, to name a few — to work with. What type of schemes will he and Daboll be bringing to East Rutherford?

Defensive Coordinator — Don “Wink” Martindale

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Don “Wink” Martindale will become the Giants’ new defensive coordinator. This comes after Patrick Graham decided to depart East Rutherford to accept the Raiders defensive coordinator job.

Giants are finalizing a deal to hire former Ravens’ defensive coordinator Wink Martindale as their new defensive coordinator, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 8, 2022

Graham was Big Blue’s DC from 2020-21 and was expected back with the Giants if he didn’t earn a head coaching gig (which he didn’t). However, the coaching carousel is very fluid in this league, and things change.

Martindale was the Ravens defensive coordinator from 2018-21 before the two sides parted ways in January.

This past year, Baltimore’s defense finished 25th in average yards allowed (363.4 per game) and 19th in average points allowed (23.1 per game).

Special Teams Coordinator — Thomas McGaughey

The Record’s Art Stapleton reports Thomas McGaughey will remain the Giants special teams coordinator in 2022. McGaughey originally assumed these duties in 2018 under Pat Shurmur and has now been retained under both the Joe Judge and Brian Daboll regimes.

I’m told #Giants are expected to retain Thomas McGaughey as their special teams coordinator, per sources. He’ll serve with his third head coach here: Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge and now Brian Daboll.
TMac was also with NYG as assistant special teams coach with Tom Coughlin

— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) February 1, 2022

McGaughey will (hopefully) continue to work with talented veteran placekicker Graham Gano, who converted on 87.9% of his field-goal attempts and on 100% of his extra-point attempts in 2021.

It remains to be seen, however, what the Giants do with punter Riley Dixon, who could be a cap casualty this offseason ($3.12 million cap hit, $320,566 dead cap in 2022).

Director of Coaching Operations — Laura Young

Field Yates and Jordan Raanan, both of ESPN, report the Giants are hiring Laura Young to be the team’s director of coaching operations. Young previously worked with Daboll in Buffalo and is supposedly the first known female coaching hire in the organization’s history.

The Giants are adding Laura Young as the team’s director of coaching operations, per @FieldYates and me. It is believed to be the Giants’ first known woman hire on the coaching side.

Young comes from the Buffalo Bills, where she was the player services coordinator.

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) February 3, 2022

Quarterbacks Coach — Shea Tierney

The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reports the Giants will be bringing in Shea Tierney to be their new quarterbacks coach. Tierney was previously with Daboll in Buffalo, working as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Bills.

The Giants are hiring Shea Tierney as QB coach, per source. Tierney had been the Bills assistant QB coach under Brian Daboll.

— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) February 2, 2022

Tierney will now get to work with…well…who knows?

Both Daboll and Joe Schoen seemed invested in Daniel Jones when addressing the media at their respective introductory press conferences. That doesn’t necessarily mean Jones will be the team’s starting quarterback in 2022, however.

There’s still the chance the Giants look to draft a rookie in the first round or at least explore a trade for Russell Wilson.

Offensive Line Coach — Bobby Johnson

Michael Silver of Bally Sports reports Bobby Johnson will serve as Big Blue’s offensive line coach. Johnson was previously the Bills offensive line coach but his contract reportedly expired.

I'm told @BuffaloBills offensive line coach Bobby Johnson will join the staff of new @Giants HC Brian Daboll (former Bills OC) in the same role… @BallySports

— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) February 1, 2022

His contract was up. https://t.co/SEfScwQpDv

— Tim Graham (@ByTimGraham) February 1, 2022

Johnson had been with Daboll in Buffalo for the last three seasons. He will now earn the opportunity to work with left tackle Andrew Thomas, who underwent a massive improvement in 2021 following a disastrous 2020 rookie campaign.

The rest of the line encompasses various question marks though. The futures of left guard Shane Lemieux and center Nick Gates are unclear after either suffered a season-ending injury early in 2021. Right guard Will Hernandez, on the other hand, has an expiring contract.

Tackles Nate Solder and Matthew Peart could return in 2022, but neither seems to be the answer on the right side. The Giants may also address the right tackle position early in the draft.

Defensive Backs Coach — Jerome Henderson

The Giants will retain defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, who manned this role in the Joe Judge regime each of the last two years.

Here’s where Brian Daboll’s staff stands:

• OC: Pep Hamilton, Mike Kafka or Chad O’Shea (expect a hire by the end of the week)
• QB Shea Tierney
• OL Bobby Johnson
• DC Patrick Graham (pending Vikings HC decision)
• DB: Jerome Henderson
• ST Thomas McGaughey

— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) February 2, 2022

Henderson will likely have much of his secondary back in 2022 — Xavier McKinney, Logan Ryan, and Adoree’ Jackson are all expected to return. James Bradberry may also return, but there’s still the chance the Giants make the one-time Pro Bowl cornerback a cap casualty this offseason.

Tight Ends Coach — Andy Bischoff

Texans are expected to hire former Las Vegas Raiders running backs coach Tim Berbenich as their new tight ends coach, replacing Andy Bischoff, who was hired by the New York Giants. Berbenich overlapped with Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton with the Indianapolis Colts

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) February 8, 2022

The Giants have hired Andy Bischoff to be their new tight ends coach.

At this moment, it’s unclear who Bischoff will be working with. Evan Engram’s rookie contract is expiring and it’s hard to believe the organization will be re-signing him. Veteran Kyle Rudolph, on the other hand, has one year remaining on his deal but could be a cap casualty this offseason.

Wide Receivers Coach — Mike Groh

#Giants are hiring Mike Groh to be their WR coach on Brian Daboll’s staff, per sources.

— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) February 10, 2022

Mike Groh most recently was the Colts wide receivers coach from 2020-21. Prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles from 2018-19.

Defensive Line Coach — Andre Patterson

Former Vikings’ assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson is being hired as the defensive line coach for the New York Giants, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 10, 2022

Andre Patterson, as a defensive line coach, has worked in various places around the league.

He was a D-line coach for the Vikings from 2014-21 (and from 1998-99) and has additionally served in the same role for the Broncos (2005-06), Browns (2003-04), Cowboys (2000-02), and Patriots (1997).

Needless to say, this fanbase won’t need to worry about Patterson’s NFL coaching experience in this specific area of the game.

Running Backs Coach — DeAndre Smith

DeAndre Smith is the Giants running backs coach. Comes from Texas Tech.

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) February 11, 2022

DeAndre Smith was previously the running backs coach for Texas Tech from 2019-21.

He’s also served as the running backs coach for Utah State (2018), North Carolina (2017), Purdue (2016), Syracuse (2013-15), New Mexico (2012, 2008), Illinois (2010-11), UNLV (2009), Miami (Ohio) (2005-07), and Northern Illinois (2001-04).

Outside Linebackers Coach — Drew Wilkins

Some more coaching additions:

— Drew Wilkins, outside linebackers
He’s known as DC Wink Martindale’s right-hand man. Probably would have been DC if Wink had gotten a HC job.

— John Egorugwu, inside linebackers

— Christian Jones, offensive assistant

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) February 12, 2022

Drew Wilkins was with Martindale in Baltimore and was the Ravens outside linebackers coach from 2020-21.

Inside Linebackers Coach — John Egorugwu

Some more coaching additions:

— Drew Wilkins, outside linebackers
He’s known as DC Wink Martindale’s right-hand man. Probably would have been DC if Wink had gotten a HC job.

— John Egorugwu, inside linebackers

— Christian Jones, offensive assistant

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) February 12, 2022

John Egorugwu was Vanderbilt’s linebackers coach last year but was with the Bills from 2017-20 and thus has a connection to Daboll. Egorugwu was a defensive quality control coach and assistant linebackers coach during his stint in Buffalo.

Summary

HC: Brian Daboll

OC: Mike Kafka
QB: Shea Tierney
RB: DeAndre Smith
WR: Mike Groh
TE: Andy Bischoff
OL: Bobby Johnson
AOL: Tony Sparano Jr.
Assistant: Christian Jones