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Michigan football coach shares farewell post as he leaves for NFL job

Trent Knoop|
Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press / USA TODAY NETWORK

It was expected that Michigan football was going to lose coach Kevin Wilkins to an NFL job days ago, and Wilkins made it official by sharing a farewell post on his X/Twitter account on Sunday. Wilkins gave a big shoutout to Wink Martindale who became the defensive coordinator this past season.

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"A huge thank you to the best Defensive Coordinator in the game… a great leader, a great coach, and most of all a great man. I am so lucky for the countless lessons he has bestowed upon me in life and in football. He prides himself on making the people around him feel important and empowered, and gives so much to the game of football in his development of the coaches and players. Thank you for 10 amazing years, 10 is a huge number in this business (unless you’re talking about points allowed in a rivalry game) and I’ve cherished every one of them! @WinkMartindale"

Wilkins would go on to shoutout head coach Sherrone Moore, his fellow coaching staff at Michigan, and the players he had the chance to coach.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside the great people and incredible student athletes at Michigan. I can’t thank Sherrone Moore and Warde Manuel enough for the opportunity this past season. It was one of the most special seasons of my career and I will miss everyone at Michigan very much! I’m excited for the next chapter, but I will be a Michigan fan for life!"

"The coaches at Michigan are ELITE! LaMar Morgan, Brian Jean-Mary, and Lou Esposito are as good as they come, and the players who get to benefit from their coaching are truly blessed. Their abilities to develop on the field, teach in the classroom, game plan with immense detail, and guide young men on their journey through life and football is unique and they embody being the best at getting better!"

"And lastly, the players. I was so fortunate to be welcomed into a room full of smart, physical, relentless football players who have a passion for the process that made my life easy and made coming to work a joy. We worked hard at getting better every day and had fun while doing it. I’m so grateful for each of them! They made me better and I’m so proud of each guy in the room. The sky is the limit for what they can achieve in life, and I’m fully prepared to watch them take over college football next season! "

Wilkins accepted the assistant linebacker's coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wilkins was hired at Michigan when Martindale accepted the position with the Wolverines. He worked with the outside linebackers, including star Josaiah Stewart who had a breakout year. Wilkins became Martindale's right hand man and will be missed when it comes to the gameplanning.

Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -

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Trent Knoop
TRENT KNOOP

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.

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