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.”
Michigan
Michigan DNR confirms black bear roaming Downriver communities in furthest southeast sighting ever
FLAT ROCK, Mich. (WXYZ) — A black bear has been confirmed roaming the Carleton, Rockwood, and Flat Rock area — the furthest southeast the Michigan DNR has ever recorded a bear sighting in the state.
Watch Jeffrey Lindblom’s video report:
Two black bear sightings confirmed in southern counties
Residents near Woodruff Road first spotted the animal on a trail camera, with many initially mistaking it for a large cat. The Michigan DNR has since confirmed two black bear sightings in the area since Sunday, along with tracks to match.
Dale Hicks, a Rockwood resident, was among the first to spot the animal.
“I looked, and I said there’s a big cat by the double gate,” Hicks said.
WXYZ-TV
Neighbor Carolann Foerch said she was surprised to learn the animal had passed through her property.
“It was here and apparently walking through our back yard. He says, there’s a bear out there!” Foerch said.
WXYZ-TV
Foerch, who is originally from northern Michigan, said she welcomed the unusual visitor.
“I love the bear, you betcha,” Foerch said.
Fellow resident Corry Stanley summed up the reaction many neighbors shared.
“Guess it was a real bear,” Stanley said.
WXYZ-TV
Jan Saintamour, another Rockwood resident, called the sighting “kind of cool. Kind of odd.”
WXYZ-TV
What the DNR says
Cody Norton, a bear specialist with the Michigan DNR, said the sighting is unprecedented for the region.
“This is the furthest southeast we’ve seen,” Norton said.
WXYZ-TV
Norton described southeastern Michigan as far more developed than other parts of the state, making the bear’s appearance in the area without any reported sightings along its path especially unusual.
The DNR reports approximately 12,000 bears living across Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. Norton said the lower peninsula bear population has grown significantly in recent years.
“Our bear population in the lower peninsula has grown about 60-percent,” Norton said.
As bear numbers have risen, the animals have begun moving into areas further west and south. Norton said younger male bears in particular tend to wander in search of territory not already claimed by dominant males.
“They are able to survive and make a living in habitats we previously thought wouldn’t be suitable for bears,” Norton said.
Norton said bears would have historically inhabited this area before development pushed them out, and that as populations continue to grow, sightings in unexpected places like southeastern Michigan are likely to increase.
“Their world revolves around food,” Norton said.
What to do if you see the bear
The DNR says residents do not need to be overly concerned.
“I don’t think anyone should be too worried about this individual bear roaming around in this area,” Norton said.
Norton said there has not been a bear-related human fatality in Michigan since 1930. He added that residents do not need to worry about walking pets or letting animals outside.
However, there are steps residents can take to avoid unintentionally attracting the bear to their property:
- Secure garbage cans
- Manage bird feeders
- Do not leave pet food outside
If you do encounter the bear, the DNR advises against running. Instead, make yourself appear large, make noise, and slowly back away to a safe location.
As of now, the bear does not appear to be bothering anyone or displaying aggressive behavior. The DNR says it will continue to leave the bear alone unless it begins acting aggressively or causing property damage.
Hicks, for his part, said he plans to keep an eye out.
“I’m going to look at it and take pictures of it,” Hicks said.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
NOVI — Surprise! Sakura Novi is getting yet another Michigan premiere store with the opening of TESO Life at 42688 Grand River Avenue on May 15.
The 12,000 square-foot store offers thousands of Asian-themed beauty products, collectibles, snacks, beverages and more.
“Hopefully people will like us,” said store manager Jackal Saw. “I’m excited about the whole new culture here and I see a lot of excited customers. I have faith in Michigan.”TESO Life was founded in 2017 and while the company offers mainly Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese products that cater to a “global consumer,” it is U.S. based, with headquarters in New York City and stores sprouting up across the east and west coasts, as well as in Texas, Florida and Chicago.Novi is the 27th location for TESO Life, which has a loyal following among Asian populations, but which has fun finds for anyone with an interest in Asian culture, food and fun collectibles.
Among the most popular items are “blind boxes,” in which there are mystery collector items that Saw describes as similar to Popmart, but with different brands, including Care Bears, Lucky Emma, Maltese, Smiski and more.A wide variety of do-it-yourself kits from Rolife line shelves, offering creative challenges.
Snack aisles abound with sweet treats, including freezers full of ice cream specialties seen on TikTok and plenty of refrigerated beverages.
TESO Life in Novi has about 30 employees waiting to greet you and is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
On opening weekend from May 15-17, spend any amount and get a free pin. Guests spending $50 or more will also get a free snack and those spending more than $100 will receive a free gift bag.
Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com
Nearly a month after Michigan State University senior and Maryland native Isaiah Kirby was shot and killed by East Lansing police, his family is asking for transparency.
East Lansing police responded to the area of Abbot and Lake Lansing roads on April 15. In a press conference after the shooting, Police Chief Jennifer Brown said that when officers arrived on the scene, they found Kirby, 21, allegedly holding a bloody knife.
The Owings Mills, Maryland, family alleges that Kirby was not suffering from a mental health crisis when he was approached by police.
Family attorney Teresa Bingman said she viewed an edited police video of the encounter and disputes the department’s report.
“We did not even see a weapon in the hand of the person who was purported to be Isaiah. The face was blacked out, he was running down the street with his hands up, a telephone in one hand and a cup and some object in another,” Bingman said.
Bingman said the family is looking for more footage of the scene from bystanders and trying to learn more about what led up to the shooting. As of May 12, Bingman said they haven’t filed a lawsuit against the department.
“We want justice, whatever that means, criminal, civil, both, we don’t know yet, but as we gather facts, we’ll have a better understanding of the direction in which we can go,” Bingman said.
The family alleges that Kirby was not suffering from a mental health crisis when he was approached by police.
“Since that day, all I wanted to know was what was the truth? I didn’t ask for nothing else. I don’t ask for nothing else. I just want to know the truth of what happened behind my baby as to why he is no longer on this earth breathing,” said Kirby’s mother, Karyn Kirby.
“Truth and transparency is all we ask for. Why delay the information if you’re not trying to hide things? Puda, I love you in the morning.”
CBS News Detroit reached out to East Lansing police for comment and is awaiting a response.
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