Spurned By Giants, Martindale Content To Remain Ravens DC
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Don Martindale's interview for the New York Giants head coaching vacancy failed to yield his preferred result: He didn't get the job.
On the positive side, the longtime NFL assistant coach could think of worse things to do than remain defensive coordinator of a Baltimore Ravens team that stands two wins away from reaching the Super Bowl.
Martindale visited the Giants last Friday with hopes of filling the post previously held by Pat Shurmur, who was fired after New York completed a dismal 4-12 season.
"They're good people there," Martindale said Wednesday. "I talked to (Giants president) John Mara. It went really well."
New York, however, was poised to hire New England special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach Joe Judge.
"Am I disappointed about it? Sure," Martindale conceded. "Whenever you interview for something, you obviously have interest in that job. But I felt like I was playing with house money. Look where I'm still standing."
Now in his second season as Baltimore's defensive coordinator, the 56-year-old Martindale is poised to guide the NFL's fourth-ranked unit into Saturday night's playoff game against the Tennessee Titans. If there's a franchise out there thinking about hiring Martindale as its new head coach, it better have plenty to offer.
"It would have to be a one-of-a-kind type job," Martindale said. "Not just any job to leave this place, because we have the best owner, we have the best coach, we have the best personnel, and most importantly we have the best group of players assembled in that locker room to lift each other up. I also know that you can't just snap your fingers and create that type of culture."
Which explains why he didn't exactly brush away a tear when the Giants made their choice.
"It was a great visit," Martindale said. "It was really a good experience for me."