Ravens hire Chargers defensive
coordinator Jesse Minter as head coach
[January 23, 2026]
By NOAH TRISTER
Before they even began the process of interviewing more than a dozen
people for their coaching vacancy, the Baltimore Ravens knew plenty
about Jesse Minter.
Now he has the job.
The Ravens hired the 42-year-old Minter on Thursday, just over two
weeks after they fired longtime coach John Harbaugh. Minter is a
familiar face, part of both Harbaugh's coaching tree and his brother
Jim's. Minter's first four seasons (2017-20) as an NFL assistant
were with the Ravens, and he spent the past two years as defensive
coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Jesse was impressive throughout our incredibly thorough interview
process,” owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement. “He clearly
understands the values, high expectations and history of the Ravens,
and he has a great vision for the future.”
Minter was a big name on the coaching market, interviewing virtually
with several teams — including the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are
looking for a coach after Mike Tomlin stepped down last week —
before landing in Baltimore. His task with the Ravens includes
helping two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson get back on track
after an injury-plagued 2025 season in which Baltimore missed the
playoffs.
“This is an organization whose values, culture and tradition of
excellence reflect everything I believe about the game of football
and how it should be played,” Minter said in a statement.
Minter was scheduled to have a second interview with Cleveland on
Thursday before informing the Browns he was dropping out of
consideration.
Baltimore was viewed as a top job opening because of Jackson's
presence and the organization's stability over the years. The Ravens
certainly talked to plenty of candidates, including Minter, Joe
Brady, Anthony Campanile, Brian Flores, Vance Joseph, Kliff
Kingsbury, Klint Kubiak, Mike McDaniel, Matt Nagy, Robert Saleh, Jim
Schwartz, Nathan Scheelhaase, Chris Shula, Kevin Stefanski, Anthony
Weaver and Davis Webb. Stefanski was hired by the Atlanta Falcons
and Saleh by the Tennessee Titans.
The Ravens decided to move on from Harbaugh after his 18 seasons at
the helm, but Baltimore did a lot right during those years. Mike
Macdonald, a former defensive coordinator under Harbaugh, has been a
big success as Seattle's head coach, with the Seahawks playing for
the NFC title this weekend.
Minter and Macdonald were on the same staff in Baltimore. Minter
advanced to the role of defensive backs coach before taking the
defensive coordinator job at Vanderbilt. He spent one season with
the Commodores before taking over as Michigan's defensive
coordinator under Jim Harbaugh and spending two years there. The
2023 Wolverines won the national title, then Minter went to the
Chargers when they hired Jim Harbaugh as their head coach.
Minter now becomes the fourth head coach in the Ravens' 31-year
history.
"Jesse is a strong leader who possesses a brilliant football mind
and a spirit that will resonate with our players and fan base
alike,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement.
“Jesse comes from a football family, with success at every level of
the sport, and we are confident that he is the right coach to lead
the Ravens forward.”
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Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter walks
on the field before an NFL football game against the Las Vegas
Raiders, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung
Gong, File)
The Ravens were the fifth team to fill a head
coaching vacancy this offseason. Arizona, Buffalo, Cleveland, Las
Vegas and Pittsburgh still have openings.
The Chargers were fifth in the league in total defense this season,
allowing 285.2 yards per game. They allowed a league-low 17.7 points
per game in 2024. Jim Harbaugh said during his season-ending news
conference last week that it was only a matter of time before Minter
would get his chance to be a head coach.
“The product that Jesse has established as the head coach of the
defense, that’s so good that we know it’s a matter of when. We’ve
been preparing for that," Harbaugh said.
The Ravens endured a tumultuous 2025 season marked by a 1-5 start
and major injuries, from Jackson to defensive tackle Nnamdi
Madubuike. Baltimore still went into a Week 18 showdown with
Pittsburgh with a chance to win the AFC North.
Rookie kicker Tyler Loop's potential game-winning field goal on the
final play sailed wide right, handing the division crown to the
Steelers.
John Harbaugh, the NFL's second-longest tenured head coach, was out
of a job days later. Harbaugh didn't stay out of work long. He was
hired to the same position by the New York Giants last week.
Although Jackson remains Baltimore's centerpiece, for the past
couple of seasons the defense has lacked the ferocity the
organization takes pride in. Minter will attempt to improve that,
and it remains to be seen who he'll bring in to coach Jackson and
the offense.
Rick Minter, Jeese's father, has more than 45 years of coaching
experience in the college and pro ranks, including 10 seasons as the
head coach at the University of Cincinnati.
During his time at Cincinnati, Minter had future NFL coaches John
Harbaugh, Tomlin and Rex Ryan on his staff, as well as Jimbo Fisher.
Harbaugh and Tomlin have each won a Super Bowl, and Fisher won a
national title at Florida State.
___
AP Sports Writers Will Graves and Joe Reedy contributed to this
report.
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