Ravens hire Jesse Minter as head coach

The Baltimore Ravens are hiring Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as their next head coach, the team announced Thursday.

"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 are giving Minter a five-year contract, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Minter's hiring marks a return to the organization where he entered the NFL coaching ranks. He served on the Ravens' staff under former head coach John Harbaugh from 2017-20 as a defensive assistant before coaching the defensive backs in the final year of his initial stint with the team.

Minter then spent the 2021 season in the college ranks as Vanderbilt's defensive coordinator. He took the same position at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh from 2022-23 before following him to the NFL in February 2024.

Minter, who has only worked under the Harbaugh brothers in the NFL, now succeeds the elder sibling in Baltimore. The Ravens fired John Harbaugh after an 8-9 season, capping his 18-year tenure as head coach.

The former Chargers coordinator was regarded as one of the most promising defensive minds in the league, making him an enticing target for teams this coaching cycle. In addition to his two interviews with Baltimore, Minter was a finalist for the Cleveland Browns' coaching vacancy. The Las Vegas Raiders also expressed interest.

The Chargers' defense ranked first in points allowed during Minter's first season, surrendering just 17.7 points per game. The unit regressed slightly in his second year but still finished in the top 10. Los Angeles also gave up the fifth-fewest yards among all teams in 2025.

Minter will inherit a Ravens roster that features two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson and three-time Pro Bowl defensive back Kyle Hamilton, among others.