Giants Reportedly Add Another Candidate to Their Growing Head Coaching Search

The New York Giants have reportedly requested permission to interview Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has interview requests from the Browns, Cardinals, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, Raiders, Ravens and Titans, per source. That's right—all 8 teams with openings put in for him.

Minter is interviewing with the Titans and Cardinals today.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 13, 2026

Minter is the 12th candidate linked to the Giants’ wide net for their next head coach.

Minter’s Chargers’ defense finished in the top 10 league-wide, allowing 285.2 yards per game (fifth), 105.4 rushing yards per game (eighth), and 179.9 passing yards per game (fifth).

In 2024, his first season with Jim Harbaugh at the Chargers, Minter’s defense finished 11th overall, 14th against the run, and seventh against the pass.

The 42-year-old Minter, who was a college receiver, has been coaching since 2006, but other than for a three-game stint as the interim head coach at Michigan when Jim Harbaugh was suspended at the start of the 2023 season, Minter has never been a head coach.

Minter began his career at Notre Dame as a defensive intern and worked his way through the college circuit through the 2016 season.

He broke into the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens under John Harbaugh, who is also being considered for the Giants’ head coaching vacancy.

At Baltimore, Minter started as a defensive assistant in 2017 before earning promotions to assistant defensive backs coach in 2019, and defensive backs coach in 2020.

He returned to the college scene with Vanderbilt in 2021 for one season before joining Jim Harbaugh at Michigan for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

The Giants have completed in-person interviews with interim head coach Mike Kafka, former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, and former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.

They are also currently wrapping up an in-person head coach meeting with former Cowboys and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.

They have done virtual interviews with Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Broncos special teams coach Darren Rizzi, and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. They are scheduled to hold a virtual interview with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo on Tuesday.

In addition to Minter, the Giants have also reportedly requested to speak with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

And the Giants are waiting on John Harbaugh to arrange an in-person interview either at their facility or at Harbaugh’s Baltimore-area home.

New York has, in the meantime, reportedly held phone calls with Harbaugh and had an informal visit with him over the weekend, when Chris Mara, a personnel executive and part of team ownership, visited with Harbaugh.

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