On the eve of fall camp (which is set to begin Wednesday, July 31), Michigan offensive and defensive coordinators Kirk Campbell and Wink Martindale met with reporters at Al Glick Fieldhouse.
Both coordinators are in new roles this fall compared to last year, and both Campbell and Martindale have a lot of work ahead of them as the team prepares for the season opener on Aug. 31.
It would appear Martindale has the easier task as he takes over the nation's No. 1-ranked defense with three All-American candidates in Will Johnson, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.
Martindale on Tuesday discussed the advantages and disadvantages of taking over the best defense in the country. He admitted there was pressure to maintain the standard.
"I think that you're not worth a grain of salt if you don't feel pressure as a coach," Martindale said. "Every year, no matter where you're at. Do you want to be better than [last year's defense]? Sure, you do. But sometimes what you want is not always what you get. There's different opponents, different offense than what they've had; everything fits just right when you end up being No. 1. I've been around some No. 1 defenses, and everything just fits right that season."
Last season, as Martindale described, everything fit just right for Michigan. The Wolverines didn't face a ranked opponent until the 10th game of the regular season when it took on Penn State in Happy Valley, and the Nittany Lions' offense wasn't anything to write home about, either.
But even when Michigan faced Michael Penix Jr., Rome Odunze and the high-powered Washington offense, the Wolverines rose to the occasion, proved they were the best defense in the country, and held the Huskies to just 13 points in the national championship game.
On Tuesday, Martindale set the bar for the defense in 2024.
"There's no doubt where the bar is set. And there's no doubt where I'll set the bar, and that's for us to be the best in the country. And I'm not gonna hide from that. I'm not gonna run from that. And neither are we as a defense."
It's unlikely the Michigan offense will be as good at controlling time of possession as last year's offense was, but Martindale recognizes that the defense feeds off the offense's success.
"I guarantee you this: If not the best, I'm one of the best defensive coordinators when the defense is on the sideline and the offense is going on a 17-play drive. So, I think that it comes down to the team, the team, the team, which is what we've talked about. So I think it all works together."
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