Ravens Hire Former Chargers Defensive Coordinator to Be New Head Coach
On Thursday, January 22nd, 2026, the Baltimore Ravens announced that they have agreed to terms with former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. The head coach search was in full swing just days after the Ravens relieved John Harbaugh of his duties after 18 seasons. Robert Saleh, Kevin Stefanski, and Joe Brady were among the other coaches who were interviewed, but the Ravens felt that Minter was the right fit after his interview on Wednesday night. Minter will be the fourth head coach in the franchise's 31 years, joining Ted Marchibroda, Brian Billick, and Harbaugh for the prestigious honor.
Like many coaches, Minter started as an intern and graduate assistant in smaller college programs, but worked his way up to the NFL as a defensive assistant to the Ravens in 2017, earning a promotion to assistant defensive backs coach in 2019 and the full-time defensive backs coach in 2020. Minter would move back to college as a defensive coordinator for Vanderbilt in 2021 before taking the same job at Michigan under John’s brother Jim. After Michigan won the National Championship over Washington, Jim Harbaugh took the head coach job with the Chargers, bringing Minter with him. Minter would spend two seasons with the Chargers, ranking top-10 in categories like points allowed per game, yards allowed per game, and top-five in defensive efficiency metrics.
After leading the Ravens to the best-ranked defense in the league in 2023, the Ravens were forced to watch Mike McDonald leave for Seattle. The defense was not the same under Zach Orr, who had spurts of success, but never enough to win the important games against formidable offenses. In a statement released by owner Steve Bisciotti, “he clearly understands the values, high expectations, and history of the Ravens, and he has a great vision for the future.” General manager Eric DeCosta continued to say that “Jesse is a strong leader who possesses a brilliant football mind and a spirit that will resonate with our players and fanbase alike… we are confident that he is the right coach to lead the Ravens forward.”
Times are changing in Baltimore, and with the hire of Minter, it is time to start thinking about the next steps. The future of Todd Monken and Zach Orr is in question as Orr struggled, and Monken is interviewing for other positions around the league. The Ravens have 24 free agents to hit the market in March, Lamar Jackson still has a projected 24% cap hit share, and the Nnamdi Madubuike situation still has fans concerned about his health and future in the NFL. While these questions are troublesome, it is a relief that a plan will soon be set in motion now that the Ravens have hired their newest head coach, Jesse Minter. Welcome back to Baltimore.
