Tensions between defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and head coach Brian Daboll erupted, leading to the New York Giants and Martindale’s departure this week.
After firing his two most reliable assistants, Drew and Kevin Wilkins, Martindale went off on Daboll, forcing the seasoned defensive coordinator to return home to Florida.
However, Martindale and Daboll’s problems date back much beyond that heated argument. They actually got into a bit of a butthead situation during their first training camp together in 2022.
According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Daboll’s explosive temper irritated not only Martindale but also a number of other coaches and assistants in the organisation
The Athletic was informed by a Giants club source that Daboll frequently takes his outbursts too personally.
You could certainly see it developing a little bit’, the Giants source said. “Dabes is losing it, calling out coaches and making it personal, like the defence is getting set up and there might be twelve guys on the pitch.”
Over his first two seasons, Daboll has owned his eruptions without shame, never shying away from them. And as bad as they’ve been behind the scenes, they’re even worse on game day.
“He is a crazy guy on game day. It’s plain cruel, according to a team member.
“It’s to the point where you’ve got to take your headsets off or take one ear off,” another team source remarked. He basically screams all the time. I feel like, “Jeez, I’m not even able to think.”
Martindale did not take well to that sort of treatment, which is sometimes referred to as “The Patriots’ Way.” And while Martindale was able to maintain composure in
He would allegedly tease Daboll in front of other staff members in order to force the head coach to blow his stack, though it’s not like he needed much encouragement.
“Wink would simply stroll into a coaches’ meeting and remark, ‘When this and that happened, I maintained my composure.'” I simply moved on to the next play. He would hurl things in the air to try to agitate (Daboll). Dabes is aware of it. Dabes is not a moron. No one would comment on it; it would just drift through the discussion, according to a second team source.
Daboll was the loose cannon who made things personal. Martindale took a long-term approach. The Giants were down to oil and water.
“(Martindale’s) personality kind of fits his style of defence — blitz zero, man coverage,” the source told The Athletic. “He’s not a careless shooter. He is quite calculating. However, he simply doesn’t give a (curse).
In the end, Daboll discovered something to make Martindale give a (expletive). Martindale was ultimately pushed over the edge when he packed the Wilkins brothers.
The majority of Daboll’s players put up with his excessive outbursts, but other coaches find his behaviour to be annoying. Additionally, Daboll will need to control his temper and find his inner Tom Coughlin in order for this to succeed.
Should he fail to do so, the Giants might start searching for a new head coach as early as 2025.
