Jesse

Minter

This makes sense. Minter was hired, in part, for his defensive prowess, having served as a long-time Jim Harbaugh understudy. The Ravens’ defensive coordinator has not yet been hired. Learning under Minter without having play-calling responsibilities could be appealing for some.

Minter, 42, served as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator under head coach Jim Harbaugh over the last two seasons. He also held the same role with Harbaugh’s Michigan squad from 2022-2023. He had a one-year stint at Vanderbilt, serving as defensive coordinator and safeties coach. He worked for former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh before that, signing on as a defensive assistant in Baltimore from 2017-2018. He was promoted to assistant defensive backs coach in 2019 and promoted again to defensive backs coach in 2020. Bills OC Joe Brady and former Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury are reportedly “two names to keep an eye on” for the Ravens’ offensive coordinator role.

In a span of three days, Minter and former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel have withdrawn from the Browns’ head-coaching sweepstakes. Both individuals had advanced to the second round of interviews. Shortly after Minter canceled today’s meeting, former Browns head coach and current Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski rehired former Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Collectively, all three moves reflect poorly on the Browns’ organization in an “it’s not me, it’s you” type of way. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reports that Minter is believed to be in serious consideration for other head-coaching jobs. He interviewed with the Ravens for a second time yesterday, which reportedly “went very well.”

Minter has been heavily rumored to be the favorite for the Ravens’ head coaching role and just completed his second interview with the organization. He has ties to the Ravens organization after having worked under former head coach John Harbaugh and former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald for the team. Anderson reports the Ravens have finished their second interview with Minter and a deal has not yet been reached. He remains on Baltimore’s radar, though the team has a few other second interviews on the docket.

NFL Insider Jordan Schultz said Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak and Broncos pass game coordinator and QB coach Davis Webb have come up “a lot” as top candidates, while adding that Chargers DC Jesse Minter “has come up as well.” Schultz also notes that Raiders co-owner Tom Brady has been “calling a number of Seahawks games of late,” giving Kubiak repeated opportunities to audition for the role live in front of one of the Raiders’ top decision makers.

Do take a minute to look at the linked graphic for “Jesse Minter 2nd Interview,” what a glorious expression of the NFL coaching silly season. Minter remains in play for the Ravens, Browns, and Raiders jobs. We’d be surprised if he didn’t land one of them considering he’s had multiple second interviews, but the Chargers would happily take him back if Minter struck out on the remaining vacancies.

That would make three second interviews for Minter, who has also met with the Browns twice and Raiders twice. He’s also still an active candidate with the Steelers. He interviewed for the Dolphins, Titans, and Falcons jobs before they hired Jeff Hafley, Robert Saleh, and Kevin Stefanski respectively. Minter to the Ravens has felt like a natural fit for a bit and he was mentioned as a favorite early in the process, so it’s not surprising to see him get a second interview.

Baltimore’s process drags on. The Ravens had a 16-coach list (that we know of), and are beginning the second interview phase shortly. Of Baltimore’s interviews, Kevin Stefanski and Robert Saleh have come off the board already. It looks like Anthony Weaver, Jesse Minter, and Joe Brady are early finalists for the position. It’s Campanile’s second head coaching interview, and with the Dolphins job now secured, his only active lead towards being a head coach.

The Steelers reportedly completed virtual interviews with seven coaches during the previous week, to include, Evero, Packers DC Jeff Hafley, 49ers OC Klay Kubiak, Chargers DC Jesse Minter, Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, Rams DC Chris Schula, and Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver. The team will also reportedly conduct in-person interviews this week for the select few that made it through their first round of questioning. More to come following the unexpected departure of Mike Tomlin, who had been the league’s longest tenured coach.

Minter is already scheduled to meet with the Browns for a second time and can now add the Raiders to that list. The 42-year-old defensive coordinator joined the Chargers in 2024 after opting to leave Michigan along with head coach Jim Harbaugh, and has led his defense to back-to-back top-10 defensive seasons. In 2024, the Chargers allowed the fewest points of any team in the league while also finishing 11th in total yards allowed. Minter could see more interviews come his way this week as teams continue to move past the first phase of the hiring cycle and narrow their list of candidates.