PFF tabs former Michigan football coach as a potential NFL head coach

Coordinators become head coaches in the NFL every offseason. When teams have an elite offense or defense, typically, the coordinator gets major praise, and struggling teams take a leap of faith in hopes they can guide their team to wins.

Recently, former Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald was hired by the Seattle Seahawks as their head coach. He led Seattle to a 10-7 record in his first year as the lead man.

But Macdonald might not be the only former Michigan DC who could gain an NFL head coaching gig. According to Pro Football Focus, Jesse Minter could be next in line. If the Los Angeles Chargers have another year of stout defense, then Minter's name might be circling around the NFL to become a head coach.

Minter has been part of Jim Harbaugh’s coaching tree for four years now. He served as Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator during Michigan’s College Football Playoff and national championship runs in 2022 and 2023 before following him to Los Angeles as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator.

In 2024, working with a largely inherited roster, Minter’s defense impressed. The Chargers ranked fifth in EPA allowed per pass (-0.037) and posted the fifth-best team coverage grade (78.3). They also finished 12th in EPA allowed per rush (-0.124) and sixth in team run-defense grade (74.6).

With another offseason to mold the unit to his system, it’s not far-fetched to expect top-10 — or even top-five — numbers again in 2025. And if that defensive success pairs with team wins, Minter’s name will start surfacing in head coaching conversations.

Minter coached in Ann Arbor under Jim Harbaugh for two seasons following Macdonald leaving for the NFL.

Minter's unit was the top-ranked defense in the country in 2023, allowing just 247.0 total net yards per game en route to a College Football Playoff National Championship, and ranked No. 2 in the nation over his two-season span as defensive coordinator (268.8). A rising star, Minter was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2022, an honor annually presented to the top assistant coach in college football.

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