Ravens Look to Correct Past Mistake with Jesse Minter Hire

The Baltimore Ravens can't change the past, but they can try rectifying their mistakes through their recent head coaching hire.

Aug 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter watches from the sidelines against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The memories of the 2023 Baltimore Ravens have spent the last two years building steam in the eyes of nostalgic fans, with their once-clean shot at making a Super Bowl slowly accruing a tragic edge following the two years since in which they've consistently fallen further from that high-water mark.

They had a lot going for them that year. Lamar Jackson's return to MVP dominance certainly created some sexy headlines, but the Ravens' true dominance stemmed from their defense. No opposing quarterback was safe with then-defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald orchestrating Baltimore's scheme, and his unit, unlike the offense, pulled their weight in that season-ending AFC championship game loss.

The rest of the league took notice of the man in charge of that top-ranked defense, though, and Macdonald entered that following offseason as one of the most attractive head coaching candidates in the game. The Ravens knew the talent that they had, making it that much more painful when they let him walk to the Seattle Seahawks.

Dec 11, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

It's been about two years since making that fateful decision to keep John Harbaugh at the Ravens' reins, one that's continued aging poorly with no sign of stopping. While Macdonald has his top-seeded Seahawks preparing for this weekend's conference championship game over in the NFC, Harbaugh finds himself starting anew with the New York Giants, having been swiftly fired upon his 8-9 Ravens missing these playoffs altogether.

The franchises' differing directions have made the Ravens horribly aware of their miscalculation. As if their vocal intentions of returning to their defensive roots weren't enough, the man they hired to replace Harbaugh looks a lot more like Macdonald than he does compared to his direct predecessor.

Minter's Macdonald Parallels

The Ravens announced that Jesse Minter is slated to take the squad's helm as its fourth-ever head coach, and fans didn't have to dig deep to find similarities to their most recent defensive-minded guru.

Minter, much like Macdonald, spent the late-2010s as a depth piece in the Ravens' defensive staff before making a pit stop with the Michigan Wolverines under John's brother, Jim. And while Macdonald spent the 2021 season commanding that defense before returning to Baltimore, Minter spent the following two years as Harbaugh's top defensive play-caller before the pair made the move to take on identical positions with the Los Angeles Chargers immediately thereafter.

Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter watches a play against Iowa during the first half of the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Minter headlined that Chargers' defensive staff for as long as Macdonald's second stint, and he, too, attracted his fair share of supporters from that role. They allowed the fewest points against in his debut season, and he followed that up in holding opponents to the fifth-lowest total yards in the NFL. And while those Chargers went 0-2 in the playoffs over those years, neither defeat could be blamed on the defense.

He isn't quite as young as Macdonald is, but Minter's lengthier resume and overall hiring signals that the Ravens are committed to investing in a new voice to reinstate that defensive reputation, and they're looking for someone who represents just about everything that the current Seahawks head coach stood for. They can't undo that costly decision, but they can avoid repeating past mistakes by securing the next-best thing.

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