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New York Giants assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka wrapped up his in-person interview with the New Orleans Saints on Saturday. He is considered a favorite to land their vacant head coaching job.
Kafka is “hopeful” he will get the call and has reportedly begun considering who he’d hire as his offensive and defensive coordinator.
In a strange twist, ESPN’s Jordan Raaran reports that Kafka is expected to bring in former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale should he get the job.
Interesting tidbit on this: If Mike Kafka gets the Saints job multiple league sources expect him to bring Wink Martindale as his defensive coordinator. They obviously worked together with the Giants and were key to the initial success in 2022. https://t.co/0hwUBo2THA
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) January 26, 2025
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Martindale worked side-by-side with Kafka during their two first seasons with the Giants under the regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. However, things quickly deteriorated between Martindale and Daboll, leading to an ugly and public split.
After his “resignation” in East Rutherford, Martindale spent last season as the Michigan defensive coordinator, where he earned the largest coordinator salary in the country.
Martindale interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts during this coaching cycle and drew some interest from the Cincinnati Bengals.
Kafka, meanwhile, was retained after Martindale’s exit and promoted in an effort to prevent a lateral move — something he was reportedly open to. And although he’s said all the right things publicly, many reports suggest he’s less than pleased privately, especially after having his play-calling duties stripped.
Given that Martindale would be Kafka’s primary choice as defensive coordinator, one could suggest that it reflects poorly on Daboll and Kafka’s opinion of the Giants’ head coach.
Should Kafka and Martindale land in New Orleans, it won’t be long before they see the Giants and Daboll. The two are scheduled to play at the Caesars Superdome in 2025.