Jesse Minter Tracker: Latest Updates About Chargers DC’s Head Coaching Prospects

Jesse Minter is arguably the hottest assistant coach on the NFL head coaching market. The Chargers’ defensive coordinator is widely expected to eventually become a head coach.

Jim Harbaugh brought Minter with him to L.A. in 2024 after he spent two seasons with him as Michigan’s defensive coordinator. This year, the 42-year-old did a masterful job—the Chargers ranked seventh in total defense (290.6 yards per game), eighth in points allowed (19.8 per game), and tied for sixth in EPA per play (-0.09).

Minter is viewed by many as this year’s version of Ben Johnson, an established, top-tier coordinator who may be able to pick his spot to become a head coach.

As Minter begins interviewing with teams, we’ll be updating the latest news and rumors about him in the tracker below:

Thursday, Jan. 22: Ravens hire Minter as next head coach

Minter was one of the hottest names on the coaching market, but he always had a most-likely destination. That’s where he landed.

The Ravens have hired him to replace John Harbaugh, who he coached under in Baltimore from 2017 through the 2020 season. He left to become the defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt in 2021, before being hired as Jim Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator at Michigan in 2022. He followed Harbaugh to the Chargers for two seasons and will now return to Baltimore as the franchise’s head coach.

Thursday, Jan. 22: Minter cancels second interview for Browns job

Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports that the sought-after Chargers defensive coordinator canceled his scheduled Thursday interview for the Browns coaching job. Per Cabot, the decision comes “likely because he feels like he has other HC opportunities that are more certain.”

Minter previously interviewed for the Cleveland job on Friday, Jan. 16, and was set for a second round of interviews with the franchise.

Wednesday, Jan. 21: Minter meets in-person with Ravens for second interview

The Ravens may have fired John Harbaugh, but they may not wind up veering too far away from the Harbaugh family’s coaching tree. After an early interview with the club, Minter returned to interview with Baltimore in person Wednesday, per Jordan Schultz.

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini shared Thursday that Lamar Jackson favors Kliff Kingsbury as the next leader of Baltimore’s offense. Minter is a defensive coach, which could open the door for that type of teamup.

Tuesday, Jan. 20: Minter has second interview for Raiders job

Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders hosted Minter for the second time, after initially speaking to the team virtually on Jan. 14. Las Vegas could be an attractive spot, as Minter is familiar with the AFC West and would join a team that is picking first in the 2026 NFL draft—with all indications that Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza the the favorite to be selected.

Thursday, Jan. 15: Falcons announce Minter interview

With Matt Ryan in place as president of football with the team he quarterbacked for years, the Falcons turned their attention to filling their coaching vacancy after firing Raheem Morris. Atlanta brought in Minter, highlighting his quick turnaround of the Chargers defense and mentioning his local connections to the area. Minter served as the defensive coordinator for Georgia State, which is located in Atlanta, from 2013 to ‘16.

The Falcons ultimately hired Stefanski for the job on Jan. 17.

Wednesday, Jan. 14: Steelers request interview with Minter

According to Tom Pelissero, the Steelers have requested an interview with Minter for their head coaching vacancy. With that news, every team with an opening has either conducted an interview with Minter or requested one.

Mike Tomlin stepped down as Pittsburgh’s coach after 19 seasons on Tuesday. That leaves the Steelers in their second coaching search since hiring Bill Cowher on January 21, 1992.

Tuesday, Jan. 13: Minter interviews with Titans and Cardinals

Minter had interviews with the Titans and Cardinals on Tuesday, as the coaching carousel continued to spin. They were his first known interviews of the process. He is expected to have two interviews each on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

On Tuesday, SI’s Albert Breer reported that eight teams with head coaching vacancies have requested interviews with Minter. That’s every team except the Steelers, who didn’t have a vacancy at the time of the report.

The Ravens, Raiders, Browns, and Titans had already asked for interviews, but now the Cardinals, Dolphins, Falcons, and Giants have been added to the list. His Arizona and Tennessee interviews are done, so he’ll presumably move on to the others now.

Monday, Jan. 12: Ravens among teams request interviews with Minter

One day after the Chargers were eliminated, Minter’s market began to take shape. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting the Ravens have requested to interview him, as have the Raiders. Minter spent four seasons with the Ravens under John Harbaugh beginning in 2017. He started as a defensive assistant, became the assistant defensive backs coach in 2019, and in ’20 was the lead defensive backs coach. He left to take over as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator in 2021. If the Ravens hired Minter, he would be replacing his former boss.

Jordan Schultz is reporting that the Titans and Browns have also requested an interview with Minter.

Sunday, Jan. 11: Chargers lose to Patriots in wild-card round

The Chargers lost to the Patriots in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Sunday, giving teams the green light to chase Minter.

L.A.’s defense allowed 381 yards in the 16-3 loss to New England, but no one would blame Minter for the performance. The Chargers’ offense was brutal and only gained 207 total yards, which left the defense in a bad spot all night. Despite that, Minter’s unit held the Patriots to 16 points and only allowed a single touchdown.