Chicago Bears Head Coach Candidate: Don Martindale – Stock Neutral
Last Week: Stock Neutral
As I mentioned in last week’s article, Don Martindale is another name that I have seen floating around — although not directly tied to the Chicago Bears. Don “Wink” Martindale has bounced around a bit in the NFL and collegiate programs. He worked his way into the NFL back in 2004 as an inside linebackers coach for the Oakland Raiders.
Similar to Leslie Frazier, Don Martindale does not do anything for me. Maybe I am just not into the thought of having a defensive-minded head coach. Is that fair? Probably not. There are some very good defensive-minded head coaches throughout NFL history and even as of late. However, as the game has shifted to a more offensive-minded game, I just don’t see the same benefits of having a defensive coordinator come in as the new head coach.
The one and only thing I like about Don Martindale is that he comes from Baltimore and is learning under John Harbaugh. Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the NFL in my opinion and actually is not an offensive-minded coach. He came up the ranks as a special teams coach and once again why I’d consider the likes of Dave Toub. Brandon Staley is another current coach who is doing well and came from the defensive side of the ball. What I am saying is that it could work, but the odds are stacked against them.
When we look at all 32 teams, only nine come specifically from the defensive side of the ball.