Jan 24, 2026
3 min read
After an intense search, general manager Eric DeCosta said Jesse Minter "checked a lot of boxes."
When the Ravens decided to hire Jesse Minter as their next coach, general manager Eric DeCosta went awry.
The Ravens interviewed 20 candidates — a wider net than previously reported.In the end, Mentor was their boy.
DeCosta called it a "good process" to learn a lot from many qualified candidates, but it didn't take long to see that Minter would be a good fit.
The Ravens' first interview with Minter was on Jan. 14, a day after a news conference with owner Steve Bisciotti and DeCosta in which they outlined what they were looking for.Baltimore already had nine first-round interviews before speaking with Minter.
When did DeCosta know he was the guy?
"I'm thinking early in the process, this Zoom," DeCosta said from his office moments after the Ravens made the hire.
"Talking to him and respecting the culture in this building, his ideas, listening to him, talking about ideas for offense, ideas for defense, ideas for special teams, how he wants his team to play. Watching the Chargers play defense every week on fire, his scheme, very creative. Seeing what he did at Michigan, watching him work.
Raven already understood the kind of person Minter was from his four years in Baltimore, working his way up from defensive assistant to running backs coach.He was part of the coaching group that helped reinvent Baltimore's innovative defensive scheme during the 2018 season.
Many of the top coaches involved in this transition were dumped elsewhere, including Minter, who left Baltimore to become the SEC's top defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt.After succeeding there, he went to Michigan and helped Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines win the national championship in 2023.
Then it was in Los Angeles for his first shot as a defensive coordinator where Minter had more success.In Minter's first season, the Chargers jumped from 24th in points allowed per game (23.4) to first (17.7).
"My first impression of Jesse was when he was here as a young coach. What I've seen is a lot of growth," DeCosta said."He's become one of the best defenders in the game as a coordinator. I think he does a lot with a little at times. I think he has a great feel for personnel. I think he's creative."
The Chargers weren't stocked with Pro Bowl defensive linemen like the Ravens.Los Angeles' starting cornerback last season was Donte Jackson, whom the Steelers let walk, and two new fifth-round picks in Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still.
Tuli Tuipulotu exploded under Minter and was named to the Pro Bowl this year after recording 13 sacks.After Odafe Oweh was traded from Baltimore to Los Angeles midseason, he had 10.5 sacks in 13 games, including the playoffs.
Minter also deployed safety Derwin James Jr. in a new way, primarily in the nickel (similar to the one used by Baltimore's Kyle Hamilton), and James returned to All-Pro form.
But DeCosta knows he's hiring more than a flashy defensive coordinator who can help shape the Ravens' defense.He hired a manager, and DeCosta had seen the right man for the job.
DeCosta said he wasn't necessarily looking for somebody from a defensive background, but he did want somebody that brought excellence on offense or defense.
"I think my approach was mostly like the draft, finding the best coach there is. In this case, a guy who checked a lot of boxes, a guy who had a lot of ability to lead this team.
"And I think talking to Jesse feels good, too, right? You talk to those guys and you start to imagine what that guy would be like in a crunch? What's that guy going to be like when we win a game? What's that guy going to be like after the break? In the offseason, we're building a team, talking to players, trying to rally the troops and all that, or you hire a coach that I think is all different."decision."
873: Deal with the Ravens hiring Jesse Minter
Insiders Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing share their initial thoughts on the Ravens' decision to hire Jesse Minter as their next head coach, including the leadership he'll bring to Baltimore, why he's set to succeed as a first-time head coach, how he'll upgrade the defense, who his offensive coordinator might be, and more.
This is Minter's first time as a head coach at any level, but he has learned from some of the best: his father, Rick Minter, both Harbaugh brothers, Mike Tomlin and others.
Still, Minter is his own man, ready to step into a leading role for the first time.
"I think he's entitled to that," DeCosta said. humility greatness I think it's a passion for the game. I think he understands the culture of the Ravens and the DNA in this building. And I think he's the right coach for us."
