It took two seasons for the tension to finally resolve.
Giants coordinator Wink Martindale parted ways with the team this week after a lackluster second year with the team and a heated meeting with head coach Brian Daboll.
Reportedly angry at the firing of assistants Kevin Wilkins and Drew Wilkins, Martindale taunted Daboll with a “fk you” and stormed out.
It was the culmination of a season in which they fell from playoff contenders to an NFC East berth and rumors swirled about a partnership.
Most of their differences are Team sources told The Athletic that this was due to Daboll's hot-tempered attitude on game days colliding with Martindale's calm approach on the sideline.
“On game day, he's a madman. Just brutal,” a source said of Daboll, while another added: “I almost have to take my headset off or take one ear off. He's just constantly screaming. I'm like, 'Ugh, I can't think of anything.' ”
But Martindale wasn't afraid to ruffle feathers from the sideline.
“Wink comes in (to coaches meetings) and says something like, 'I stayed calm when so-and-so did this.' He just moved on to the next play.” said the person. “He was throwing things out there to see if he could make (Daboll) furious. Daves knows that. Daves isn't stupid. It just flowed through the meeting. , no one will say anything.”
Daboll was pleased that Martindale publicly criticized Xavier McKinney after the safety complained about his communication with the defensive staff after a 30-6 loss to the Raiders on Nov. 5. I hadn't.
Later that month, rumors of a rift between Daboll and Martindale became public when Fox Sports reported that they were in a “bad place” before a Nov. 26 win over the Patriots. However, the team downplayed the idea.
But the clock was already ticking.
On Sunday, the Giants defeated the rival Eagles, ending a disappointing 6-11 season.
On Monday, Daboll fired special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey and the Wilkins brothers, who had presided over abusive meetings and private resignations by Martindale, but the split became official Wednesday.
