Jesse Minter Announced as Baltimore Ravens Head Coach

On January 22, 2026, the Baltimore Ravens announced that Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter, will become only the 4th head coach in Ravens franchise history. Minter is known for being a defensive mastermind and is expected to elevate the Ravens’ defense to new heights.

     Minter will look to unlock the full potential of the Baltimore defense with Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith. Baltimore’s defense has the star players, and now, with Minter as the head coach, Ravens fans expect Minter’s defense to rank among the best in the NFL. Ravens fans want to see the same success that Mike McDonald had with the Ravens defense in 2023 with Jesse Minter.

     Minter has previous experience with the Baltimore Ravens, as he began his NFL coaching career with Baltimore in 2017 as a defensive assistant coach and then moved up to a defensive backs coach in 2020. After four seasons with the Ravens, Minter returned to college football to become the defensive coordinator of Vanderbilt in 2021. In 2022, he left Vanderbilt to join the Michigan Wolverines as the defensive coordinator with Jim Harbaugh (former Ravens coach, John Harbaugh’s little brother). 

     In his second season with Michigan, Minter won the college football national championship with one of the most dominant defenses in college football. Minter’s defense allowed only 10.4 points per game, 247 total yards per game, and had one of the strongest red zone defenses, only allowing 11 touchdowns across 15 games. 

     Following his success with Michigan, Minter followed Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers as the defensive coordinator in 2024. Minter spent two seasons with the Chargers, helping the team reach the playoffs in both seasons. In 2025, Minter’s defense was a top-five unit, allowing 20 points per game, 285 yards per game, and ranked 4th in red zone efficiency among the whole NFL. The Chargers’ defense also ranked 7th in defensive turnovers with 23 forced turnovers and ranked 10th in sacks with 45. 

    John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens are now on their own separate paths, with Harbaugh taking over coaching responsibilities for the New York Giants. The Ravens and Giants won’t play each other until the 2028 NFL season in Baltimore (unless they meet in next year’s Super Bowl).  The Ravens selected Minter as their head coach over other candidates like Brian Flores, Klint Kubiak, and Kliff Kingsbury. 

    Minter will look to find his Offensive and Defensive coordinators in the coming weeks. Minter and the Baltimore Ravens will be seeking to reclaim the AFC North and the 3rd Super Bowl for the city of Baltimore.
    With Ravens owner, Steve Bisciotti, claiming that Minter “clearly understands the values, high expectations and history of the Ravens,” we will see how Jesse Minter lives up to those expectations and–ultimately–if he helps them reach and win a Super Bowl.