The Baltimore Ravens have hired Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to be their new head coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Thursday.
Jesse Minter Has Plenty of History With the Harbaughs
Minter, 42, has been in the Harbaugh coaching tree for some time. He started his time in the NFL under John Harbaugh with the Ravens, having spent 2017 through 2020 there and climbing the ranks from a defensive assistant to a defensive backs coach.
He then spent 2021 as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator before spending the next two years under Jim Harbaugh as Michigan’s defensive coordinator, following him to Los Angeles in 2024.
Of course, it’s John whom Minter will be replacing as Baltimore’s head coach. With his successor spending 18 seasons with the team and winning a Super Bowl, the defensive mastermind has pretty big shoes to fill.
PFSN evaluates and grades the Ravens’ decision to hire Minter as their new head coach.
Grading the Minter Hire
There’s no denying the defensive firepower that Minter brings to the table. In Minter’s two years as their defensive coordinator, the Chargers placed in the top 10 in PFSN’s Defense Impact scoring both seasons. They ended 2024 ranked sixth in the NFL and concluded 2025 ranked eighth.
In his tenure at Michigan, the Wolverines won the national championship in 2023 on the shoulders of a dominant defense. They allowed the lowest points-per-game average in the FBS at just 10.4, as well as the second-fewest yards allowed per game at 157.0.
Under Minter’s leadership, Michigan saw eight defensive players drafted between 2023 and 2024. In particular, the 2024 NFL Draft had a pretty big footprint from that unit, with three Wolverine defenders having been selected within the first 70 picks. Other contributors from that title-winning defense like Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Will Johnson got drafted in the first two rounds in 2025, too.
Minter becomes just the fourth head coach in Ravens history since their debut season in 1996, which speaks to the sustained success this organization has had. As far as landing spots for a head coach go, this is as good as it gets. They have a smart front office that knows how to win, and they have plenty of star power; does the name Lamar Jackson ring a bell?
The only real concern with Baltimore’s decision is the risk factor of hiring a first-time head coach. It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but the question could be asked: can someone who’s never been an NFL head coach before keep a team that’s a perennial playoff contender at or above their expected level?
Otherwise, Minter is clearly an intelligent defensive coach and a leader whom the players respect. His familiarity with the Ravens’ organization should provide a level of continuity that other outside hires would not. That said, there’s just enough of a difference to get the team’s fanbase that they’ll be able to break the Super Bowl glass ceiling that Harbaugh’s teams had not been able to in recent seasons.
