Ravens hire Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as head coach

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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.”

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.

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AP Sports Writers Will Graves and Joe Reedy contributed to this report.

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