One of the top NFL head coach vacancies this offseason has officially been filled with one of the top head coach candidates.
The Baltimore Ravens have hired Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to become their next head coach, the team announced Thursday. The move comes just over two weeks after the Ravens moved on from John Harbaugh as head coach after 18 seasons.
“Jesse is a strong leader who possesses a brilliant football mind and a spirit that will resonate with our players and fanbase 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.”
Minter, 42, has been the Chargers’ defensive coordinator for the last two seasons, helping Los Angeles have one of the league’s top defenses. The Bolts 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.
Minter followed Jim Harbaugh to Los Angeles after serving as Michigan’s defensive coordinator for two seasons, helping the Wolverines win the national title in 2023.
This won’t be Minter’s first stop in Baltimore, either. Minter was a defensive assistant for four seasons (2017-20) before becoming Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator for a season in 2021.
With the success Minter has had over his last two stops, he’s quickly emerged as a top head coach candidate. FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna ranked Minter as the fifth-best head coach candidate this offseason.
The Ravens’ vacancy was also viewed as one of the top vacancies this offseason. FOX Sports’ Ben Artur ranked it as the best head coaching job available this offseason.
Minter seems to agree with that sentiment, picking the Ravens job after interviewing with several other teams.
“I am truly honored to serve as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens,” Minter said in a statement. “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.”
The Ravens endured a tumultuous 2025 season marked by a 1-5 start and major injuries, from star quarterback Lamar Jackson to defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike. Baltimore recovered to head into a Week 18 showdown with Pittsburgh for the AFC North title.
Rookie kicker Tyler Loop’s potential game-winning field goal on the final play sailed wide right, handing the division crown to the Steelers.
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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
