The Ravens stay true to their roots and stick the landing with home run hire of Jesse Minter as their next head coach

The Ravens are betting the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer

Jan 22, 2026 5:44 PM EST

The Baltimore Ravens have their man!

To bring an end to their not-so-surprising transition away from John Harbaugh as the team’s head coach, Baltimore’s search has ended with a candidate who had some of his formative years right under their noses. Jesse Minter, the Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator, is the fourth head coach in Baltimore Ravens history. The hire is a home run selection.

Baltimore says true to their roots in hiring of Jesse Minter as fourth head coach

It doesn’t take much of an imagination to picture Minter in Ravens gear, in large part because he was defensive assistant for the Ravens from 2017-2020. There, he worked alongside names like Dean Pees, Wink Martindale, and Mike Macdonald on the defensive side of the football. Those strong defensive connections and the years of exposure to the standard and way of life in Baltimore should allow Minter to assimilate into the current operation and allow him to have a strong chance to hit the ground running.

As is the case with any first-time head coach on the defensive side of the ball, getting a strong offensive coordinator hire is going to be a big piece of the puzzle. The trump card is, of course, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at quarterback and RB Derrick Henry in the backfield. They’ll have a better sales pitch to offensive coordinators than just about anyone.

Minter’s defenses in Los Angeles are what serves as the cherry on top. You can be familiar with the culture all you want. But can you coach ball? Over the last two seasons, Minter’s Chargers defense ranks 7th in the NFL in defensive Expected Points Added (EPA) per game. They trail the Texans, the Seahawks, the Vikings, the Eagles, the Broncos, and the Browns. That’s quite the company to keep, especially considering the team’s youth movement at cornerback and the team’s collection of odd-ball pieces along the defensive interior. Minter can coach. He knows the Ravens inside and out. And Baltimore’s got the piece on the roster to compensate and make up for the biggest question mark on his resume. It leaves just one question.

What’s not to like?