Michigan
Blitz-heavy DC Martindale vows to ‘find the right mix’ at Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — They may share the same first name, role on the Michigan football coaching staff and desire to blitz.
But new Wolverines defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale has done his best this offseason to quiet the skeptics who suggest he’s just another polished, more successful version of Don Brown.
“It’s ridiculous,” Martindale told reporters Tuesday ahead of training camp. “As I see it, it’s ridiculous. You have defenses that are ranked No. 1 in the NFL, in the top 5 three years in a row, and you come into a new system in New York and you go into the playoffs and what do they want to talk about?
“All they want to talk about is last year, the last year (in Baltimore).”
Martindale was referencing his 2021 season with the Ravens, the low-point of his career as a coordinator in the NFL. Not only did Baltimore fall to 19th in yards allowed per play that season, but did so blitzing at an uncomfortable 31.1 percent rate. Uncomfortable for Martindale, anyway.
In four of his seven seasons as an NFL coordinator, Martindale-led defenses were No. 1 in blitz rates — including three of his four seasons in Baltimore, where the Ravens chased after the quarterback on 39.6 percent of dropbacks in 2018, 54.9 percent in ‘19 and 44.1 percent in ‘20. It wasn’t until his final season, after which head coach John Harbaugh elected to move on from the longtime assistant coach, that he let off the gas.
More: Martindale reassures U-M players upon arrival: ‘I’m the OG of of this system’
“Am I an aggressive playcaller? Yes, I’m an aggressive playcaller,” Martindale, tasked with taking over the No. 1-ranked Michigan defense, conceded. “We’ve won a lot of football games calling games aggressively. When it doesn’t work, that’s when everybody comes out and says, ‘He’s blitzing too much.’ You don’t hear that at all when you win. You hear about how creative you are.”
The task this fall for Martindale, 61, who inked a massive three-year, $7.5 million contract to take over for the departed Jesse Minter. Martindale knows the Michigan defense well for someone who’s been absent from the college ranks for more than two decades; he helped build it in Baltimore, where Michigan’s two previous coordinators (Minter, Mike Macdonald) learned under him.
But the Michigan fanbase still has flashbacks to the Don Brown era circa 2016 to 2020, when the Wolverines owned top-10 defenses through a healthy dose of blitzing that never seemed to work against high-powered offenses. The approach eventually fell apart in 2020 and Brown was dismissed from his post.
His successors, Macdonald and Minter, installed and adapted the Ravens’ scheme in Ann Arbor to the modern complexities of college football, where no-huddle, fast, pass-heavy offenses rule the land. To be successful, it is imperative that a unit be mendable in order to get off the field in a timely fashion. And they did, to great success. Minter was lauded for masterfully mixing up fronts, working in zone coverages on the back end and simulating blitzes to confuse opposing offenses.
Martindale, speaking Tuesday, said he believes in a healthy balance of both — man-coverage from the outside corners, a unit that includes All-American Will Johnson, and safeties who do it all — including bull-rushing the quarterback.
“When you start out teaching the principle of man (coverage), which we’ll do in the first practice, you can play zone to win games,” Martindale said. “Zone teams that play nothing but zone can never play man to win the game. Teams that don’t pressure when they have to pressure, it don’t usually look right because they don’t practice it enough.
“If they know that you’re just going to be a four-man rush coverage team, you don’t have a very high success rate.”
Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale watches during the NCAA college football team’s spring game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)AP
During an appearance on the “GM Shuffle” podcast with former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi earlier this summer, Martindale described his defense as “flexible,” “player-friendly” and “position-less football” while acknowledging the different nuances in the college game.
“There’s more simulated pressures that you see watching tape that work just as effectively as sending them all,” Martindale told the podcast. “I think it’s going to be a wait-and-see as we get through fall camp and everything else, but let’s make no mistake about it: I’m more aggressive than probably both of those guys (Macdonald, Minter) — sometimes to a fault.”
Helping matters, Martindale will be armed with a healthy dose of elite playmakers and experience on all three levels of the defense. Defensive tackle Mason Graham is a preseason All-American while his tackle partner, Kenneth Grant, is among one of the best in the Big Ten. Edge rushers Joasiah Stewart and Derrick Moore both saw extended playing time during the Wolverines’ national title run last year. Linebackers Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham both started games at their previous stops. Throw in Johnson, returning safety Makari Paige and a group of four transfer defensive backs with starting experience elsewhere and Michigan has the needed depth to make it work on the back end.
The situation is primed for Martindale to succeed, even as Michigan is set to play a difficult schedule in the expanded Big Ten. He’s chosen to keep the four “pillars,” or points of emphasis with the players — block destruction, effort, ball disruption and communication — in an effort to boost turnover numbers.
“We’ll find the right mix of pressure and simulated (blitzes) and all that,” Martindale said Tuesday. “We’ll find the right mix. That’s what training camp is for.”
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Michigan Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 3, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Daily 3 numbers from June 3 drawing
Midday: 4-5-2
Evening: 6-9-6
Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 4 numbers from June 3 drawing
Midday: 5-3-2-6
Evening: 6-7-7-1
Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Poker Lotto numbers from June 3 drawing
AH-4C-7C-9C-2S
Check Poker Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from June 3 drawing
05-10-21-34-37
01-03-16-27-32
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily Keno numbers from June 3 drawing
05-09-16-29-31-34-38-43-45-47-48-49-50-52-55-60-62-66-67-76-77-79
Check Daily Keno payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Classic Lotto 47 numbers from June 3 drawing
08-09-20-26-34-45
Check Classic Lotto 47 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto Double Play numbers from June 3 drawing
01-11-23-33-36-44
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Michigan Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes up to $99,999.99, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Michigan Lottery’s Regional Offices.
To claim by mail, complete a ticket receipt form, sign your winning ticket, and send it along with original copies of your government-issued photo ID and Social Security card to the address below. Ensure the names on your ID and Social Security card match exactly. Claims should be mailed to:
Michigan Lottery
Attn: Claim Center
101 E. Hillsdale
P.O. Box 30023
Lansing, MI 48909
For prizes over $100,000, winners must claim their prize in person at the Michigan Lottery Headquarters in Lansing located at 101 E. Hillsdale in downtown Lansing. Each winner must present original versions of a valid government-issued photo ID (typically a driver’s license or state ID) and a Social Security card, ensuring that the names on both documents match exactly. To schedule an appointment, please call the Lottery Player Relations office at 844-887-6836, option 2.
If you prefer to claim in person at one of the Michigan Lottery Regional Offices for prizes under $100,000, appointments are required. Until further notice, please call 1-844-917-6325 to schedule an appointment. Regional office locations are as follows:
- Lansing: 101 E. Hillsdale St. Lansing; Phone: 844-917-6325
- Livonia: 33231 Plymouth Road, Livonia; Phone: 844-917-6325
- Sterling Heights: 34700 Dequindre Road, Sterling Heights; Phone: 844-917-6325
- Detroit: Cadillac Place, 3060 W. Grand Blvd., Suite L-600, Detroit; Phone: 844-917-6325
- Grand Rapids: 3391-B Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids; Phone: 844-917-6325
- Saginaw: Jerome T. Hart State Office Building, 411 E. Genesee Ave., Saginaw; Phone: 844-917-6325
For additional information, downloadable forms, and instructions, visit the Michigan Lottery’s prize claim page.
When are Michigan Lottery drawings held?
- Daily 3 & Daily 4: Midday at 12:59 p.m., Evening at 7:29 p.m.
- Fantasy 5: 7:29 p.m. daily
- Poker Lotto: 7:29 p.m. daily
- Lotto 47: 7:29 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily
- Daily Keno: 7:29 p.m. daily
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Michigan editor. You can send feedback using this form.
A decade of Celebrate Michigan: See the images that won from 2015 to 2025
The Detroit News’ Celebrate Michigan photo contest is 20 years old. We’ve assembled the best of the best: Winners and runners up from 2015 to 2025.
The Detroit News
Gotion Inc. has asked a federal judge to order the Michigan township where it was supposed to call home to repay the roughly $23.7 million it owes the state in taxpayer-funded incentives.
Green Township’s actions opposing Gotion’s planned battery parts plant made it all but impossible to move forward, the company argued, leaving Gotion in default under its agreement with the state and on the hook for the $23.7 million in taxpayer-funded incentives it received for land purchases and improvements.
“Now that it is clear the project cannot move forward in the face of this continued opposition and the state of Michigan’s withdrawal of support, Gotion seeks to add these constitutional claims and request damages as a result of the township’s breach of the development agreement and violation of Gotion’s constitutional rights,” a May 29 court filing in the case said.
Last week’s filing seeks to amend an earlier lawsuit Gotion filed against Green Township over zoning changes that made its development all but impossible to proceed.
In February, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked Gotion’s lawsuit, arguing that it was moot because the state had already found the project in default and had demanded back roughly $23.7 million that had been given to the subsidiary of a Chinese company to purchase and prepare land in Green Township. In light of that ruling, Gotion is seeking to amend its lawsuit to seek additional damages.
“…the Sixth Circuit implied that given the facts of the dispute at this point, the correct form of damages for Gotion’s breach of contract claim against the township is likely monetary damages and no longer injunctive relief,” Gotion said in the May 29 filing.
The amended filing includes demands for damages arising from the “millions” Gotion paid or spent in reliance on the project moving forward, lost profits the company would have made if the manufacturing facility were built, attorney fees and an amount “not less than $23,670,873.56 for funds advanced towards land and development costs related to the project that the state of Michigan is now claiming should be repaid.”
Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office, which is seeking to recoup the $23.7 million on behalf of the Michigan Strategic Fund, said it was aware of Gotion’s May 29 filing against Green Township and is “monitoring the situation.” The office declined further comment, citing attorney-client privilege.
Gotion first sued Green Township in March 2024 after the board — all of whom had been replaced in November 2023 with members concerned about the Gotion project — rescinded two resolutions needed for the project to move forward. Gotion sued in federal court for breach of contract, and a U.S. district court judge issued a preliminary ruling in Gotion’s favor.
But the Sixth Circuit later blocked the case after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, last fall, found Gotion to be in default of its grant agreement.
The state’s finding of default was in part due to the Green Township lawsuit. The company’s agreement with the state prohibits involvement in a suit that “would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the project or the grantee’s performance of its obligations under this agreement.”
The state also maintained Gotion’s “cessation of eligible activities” for a period of 120 days constituted an “abandonment” in violation of the grant agreement.
The Michigan Strategic Fund said it would seek to recoup the $23.7 million used to purchase and prepare land for Gotion in Green Township.
The Gotion project in Green Township was fraught with controversy shortly after its announcement. The company had planned to locate a battery parts plant in the Big Rapids area, creating up to 2,350 jobs and receiving about $175 million in taxpayer-funded incentives for the project.
Local opponents pushed back on the project because of the secretive nature with which it was negotiated, the unknown environmental effects of the project and Gotion’s parent company in China. Those concerns were amplified by Republican candidates in 2024, including both Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump.
The legal maneuverings with Gotion have already come at a cost to the township.
For the past three years, the state Treasury Department has flagged Green Township in Mecosta County because its expenditures have exceeded the amount of money authorized in its annual budget. In a corrective action plan submitted to Treasury last month, the township said its deficits were “primarily due to the legal fees.”
eleblanc@detroitnews.com
A group of residents on Holland Road in Taylor, Michigan, say they are now doing everything they can to keep their neighborhood the way it is after some of them received a letter saying the city is considering rezoning their neighborhood.
“People across the street from me could have warehouse front property instead of woods and nice residential homes,” said Matthew Streicher.
Streicher, whose family has owned property on Holland Road for more than 100 years, says that has been his concern after he received a letter from the city about a proposed rezoning from residential to light industrial directly behind his home near Wick and Holland roads.
“So that’s when I also decided to start knocking on doors around here and saying this is what is going on, we need to speak out and have a voice as to what happens in our backyards, literally,” said Streicher.
Streicher told CBS News Detroit that three of his neighbors received that letter, informing residents that there’s a possibility of a new cold storage warehouse development if this land is rezoned.
“Nothing that belongs in a neighborhood,” said Tim Adkins.
“Heartbreaking, heartbreaking, you know,” said Denise Haggadone.
Many who live on Holland Road say this possibility is even more disturbing because of how long everyone has lived on this quaint road. And these same homeowners say that an industrial facility would only bring in more traffic and take away natural green space, most likely hurting their property value as well.
“It’s nice to see the wildlife, you know, there’s so few places left,” said Adkins.
On Tuesday, CBS News Detroit spoke off-camera with City Council Chairman Charley Johnson, who also lives on Holland Road. Johnson says he understands all of his neighbors’ concerns and agrees with them.
He says the company proposing this rezoning has every right to do so, and that the planning commission will vote on it Wednesday evening.
“It’s sad, I raised my kid here, and he’s planning on having this home after I pass or retire or what have you,” Haggadone said,
The residents hope to see a big turnout at Wednesday’s planning commission meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, at Taylor City Hall.
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