According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Wolverines are planning to hire Wink Martindale as their next defensive coordinator.

READ: Boston College hires Bill O’Brien as head coach

The contract and agreement between Michigan and Martindale “still is being finalized but it is not expected to be an issue,” according to Schefter. He’ll join Sherrone Moore’s coaching staff after Moore was named head coach in January.

Martindale spent the past two seasons with the New York Giants as their defensive coordinator. He arrived in New York after four seasons in the same role with the Baltimore Ravens.

Martindale first started in the NFL with the then-Oakland Raiders as inside linebacker coach in 2004.

READ: Michigan’s Warde Manuel becomes Chair of CFP Selection Committee; 6 named new members

His first job as defensive coordinator came with the Denver Broncos in 2010, and then later Martindale joined the Ravens in 2012 where he coached linebackers for six years.

Martindale also has pervious college coaching stops at Cincinnati, Defiance College, Notre Dame, Western Illinois and Western Kentucky according to Michael Baca of NFL.com.

Martindale replaces Jesse Minter at Michigan, as Minter took the defensive coordinator position with Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers.

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According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Elston will follow former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh to Los Angeles.

READ: Penn State Lands Commitment from Four-Star Linebacker

Elston arrived at Michigan ahead of the 2022 season following his playing days as a Wolverines from 1993-96. He garnered a wealth of coaching experience after his playing career finished with a 35-16 four-year record.

Before his time at Michigan, Elston coached 12 years at Notre Dame. He guided the defensive line in 10 of his 12 seasons with the Fighting Irish, and Elston also coached linebackers from 2015-16, special teams in 2010-11 and was the recruiting coordinator 2015-17 and in 2021.

Elston also has prior coaching stops at Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Cincinnati. He worked with the Eagles from 2001-03, the Chippewas from 2004-06 and the Bearcats from 2007-09.

READ: Carson Beck purchases new Lamborghini

Elston began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Michigan during its national championship-winning season in 1997.

Elston represents at least the second Wolverines defensive staff member to join Harbaugh with the Chargers. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will fill the same role in Los Angeles.

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The No. 1 Wolverines took it all in on Monday night, just after beating No. 2 Washington 34-13 in the College Football Playoff National Championship. It secured Michigan’s first CFP title and first national championship since 1997, all under the tutelage of head coach and “Michigan man” Jim Harbaugh. 

“Glorious win. Could not be happier or prouder,” Harbaugh said. “Our team, 15-0. Took on all comers. Last one standing. It’s a great feeling, and just so happy for our players, for our parents, for their grandparents, our coaches (offensive coordinator) Sherrone Moore, (defensive coordinator) Jesse Minter, (running backs and assistant special teams coach) Jay Harbaugh, the coordinators, the coaches, the staff just couldn’t have had a better game. Jesse Minter, I mean, A-plus-plus the whole way. And for me, personally, I can now sit at the big person’s table in the family. They won’t keep me over there on the little table anymore. My dad Jack Harbaugh won a national championship and my brother won a Super Bowl so it’s good to be at the big person table from now on.” 

READ: Former Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins commits to Ohio State

Michigan jumped out to a 17-7 lead after running back Donovan Edwards scored two 40-plus yard rushing touchdowns in the first quarter. 

Washington answered back in the second quarter when Michael Penix Jr. Connected with receiver Jalen McMillan on a 3-yard touchdown bringing the score to 17-10 at halftime. 

But the Wolverines held the Huskies to 141 yards in the second half and forced two turnovers to outscore Washington 17-3 in the third and fourth quarters. 

It didn’t come easily for the Wolverines. They punted on three-straight drives in the second half while Washington trailed behind 20-13. 

“We started off really hot, everything was clicking, but I feel like we got to points in the games where we were beating ourselves,” Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. “I was missing throws. I was missing some reads, and it just comes down to moving on to the next play, flushing the last play and just staying in the present moment and just trying to attack one play at a time.” 

VIEW: Watch: Michigan RB Blake Corum gives Wolverines insurance, scores 12-yard TD

McCarthy went 10-of-18 for 140 yards, and it was completely Michigan’s running attack and defense that helped seal the Wolverines’ national title. 

The Wolverines ran for a season-high 303 yards, including 209 in the first half, while they became the first team with two 100-plus yard rushers in a CFP National Championship. 

VIEW: Watch: No. 2 Washington answers back, Michael Penix Jr. finds Jalen McMillan for 3-yard TD

Blake Corum led Michigan with 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He said Michigan manifested its national championship ever since it lost to TCU in the CFP semifinals for a second-straight year in 2022. 

“For me, when we all decided to come back, we knew what it took to get here, right? And when we all said we’re coming back and the guys that had no other choice but to come back, we had to pay attention to details, and our strength coach actually hit on it (Sunday night) when he was talking to us,” Corum said. “But it’s the little things, the details and the details, and we really locked in on those details all the way back to winter workouts, summer workouts. We were always just trying to execute at a high level and pay attention to detail. I think that’s what separated us a lot.” 

VIEW: Watch: Donovan Edwards scores 2nd touchdown on 46-yard run to keep No. 1 Michigan ahead in College Football Playoff National Championship

Now that Harbaugh gets to sit at “the big person’s table” in his family, the Wolverines also secured a special place in history. 

Harbaugh and Michigan underwent a season full of controversy. Harbaugh served a self-imposed three-game suspension to start the season due to recruiting violations and he also was suspended the final three games of the regular season by the Big Ten Conference after its investigation into in-person scouting led by former staff member Connor Stalions. 

Harbaugh had been tight-lipped about the ongoing investigations into Michigan’s program throughout the season. He focused on the “one-track mind” and preached it all season long, and now that the season is over, Harbaugh shed a little light. 

“It couldn’t have gone better. It went exactly how we wanted it to go to win every game,” Harbaugh said. “Off the field issues, we’re innocent. And we stood strong and tall because we knew we’re innocent. And I’d just like to point that out. And these guys, these guys are innocent. And yeah, (to) overcome that wasn’t that hard because we knew we were innocent.” 

VIEW: Watch: Michigan’s Donovan Edwards scores 41-yard TD to start CFP National Championship

Whether Michigan holds onto its national championship remains to be seen. Speculation has swirled regarding the ongoing NCAA investigation into in-person scouting that the Wolverines could vacate their 2023 season. 

But that all remains speculation. For now, though, Michigan is on top of the college football world, and it doesn’t plan on stopping here. 

“It takes a lot more than just being a football player to be a Michigan man, and everything that — the rigorous school, schedule, the rigorous football schedule just forces us into these Michigan men and couldn’t be in a better spot,” McCarthy said. 

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The Wolverines were without Jim Harbaugh, who served the first of a three-game suspension as a result of the Big Ten Conference’s discipline of the Wolverines program for in-person, advanced scouting. Moore was emotional after the victory. 

“I want to thank the Lord,” Moore said. “I want to thank coach Harbaugh. I f—ing love you, man. I love the s— out of you, man. We did this for you, for this university, the president, our AD. We got the best players, best university, best alumni in the country. Love you guys. These f—ing guys right here. These guys right here man. These guys did it. These guys did it man.” 

PODCAST: November crowns champions and who will step up in week 11?

Moore and the Wolverines rolled to 10-0 amid a season in which investigations and suspensions have loomed over the team. 

So when Moore had an opportunity to talk up the Michigan program and the state of the Wolverines, he took it. 

“I’m a pretty calm guy but there’s a lot of emotions,” Moore said. “Being here six years, I feel like this place is home. What coach Harbaugh has done for me just giving me the opportunity to be here and this whole university and these players, these fans, I mean, this place is like home to me. Home to my family. So it’s very deep, and I wear my heart on my sleeve. I work extremely hard as we all do so that meant a lot for us to get this win in this situation. To show that and make it about players, the players are — we have elite players, elite university, and just so happy for them.” 

In the days and weeks leading up to the Big Ten’s announced suspension of Harbaugh following in-person scouting, Michigan supporters asked conference commissioner Tony Petitti for due process in investigating the Wolverines program. 

Michigan university president Santa Ono wrote a letter last week to Petitti encouraging due process. After Harbaugh’s suspension was announced, athletics director Warde Manuel released a statement Saturday criticizing the Big Ten and NCAA. 

Playing without Harbaugh, Moore said the message rang a similar tune as usual to the Wolverines players. 

“Play for yourselves, play for the team and play for Michigan. That’s the constant message,” Moore said. “We did make it about him. Just play for everybody that you’ve always played for. Think about this game as you’re in the backyard with the boys, with your friends, and you’re just going to have to win. This was a tournament game for us, a playoff game for us, so we knew we had to do whatever we needed to do to win. So it’s been a crazy 24 hours but at the same time our team is built for this. Our staff is built for this, and we’re all built for it.” 

READ: Big Ten issues penalty to Michigan after violation of sportsmanship policy over in-person scouting

Michigan beat Penn State on the ground, rushing for 227 yards which are the most allowed by the Nittany Lions this season. 

Running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards each had a rushing touchdown, and the former had two, while the team carried the rock for 4.9 yards per run. 

“We got two of the best backs in the country so at the end of the day we do whatever it takes to win,” Moore said. “Sometimes it’s throwing more, sometimes it’s punting more, and we’re going to do whatever we can in that game to win. We thought as we got into the game obviously the run game became priority, and I think our guys up front really asserted themselves to be dominant and those backs ran super hard so I was really excited about that.” 

The Wolverines FaceTimed Harbaugh after the victory. Moore said Harbaugh “always alluded to” him potentially serving as acting head coach if a suspension was announced in the week leading up to the Penn State game. 

Moore said he leaned on defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and running backs coach Mike Hart among members of the coaching staff against the Nittany Lions. Amid tumultuous times for the Michigan program, the Wolverines led themselves to a top-10 win despite the news. 

“They were ready. It’s crazy,” Moore said. “This team is different. They’re built very different, and we let them know that coach wasn’t going to be there. And they knew that there was possibly that he wasn’t, and then when we told them here, they were ready to go. They didn’t flinch.” 

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