Jesse Minter Makes First Addition to Ravens Coaching Staff

While all eyes have been justifiably locked on who the Baltimore Ravens' next offensive coordinator will be since they decided to go with a defensive-minded head coach by bringing back Jesse Minter to replace John Harbaugh, there are still other assistant positions in all three phases that need to be filled.

According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Minter is slated to make the addition to his coaching staff in one of his areas of expertise by hiring University of Notre Dame defensive backs coach Mike Mickens as the Ravens defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach.

The #Ravens are hiring Notre Dame’s Mike Mickens as defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach, sources tell @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/7WTRy7rwSG
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 26, 2026

Mickens has been coaching defensive backs for the Fighting Irish for the past six years since 2020 and is widely viewed as a rising star who was destined to matriculate to the NFL sooner rather than later. During his time in South Bend, starting as a cornerbacks coach under Brian Kelly, he was retained and promoted by his former high school teammate, Marcus Freeman and helped turn the team's secondary from a liability into a strength.

The 38-year-old served in the same holistic role for Notre Dame for the past two years that he is being hired for in Baltimore. His relationship with Minter goes back nearly two decades to his days as a college defensive back. He earned first-team All-American in 2007 and second-team All-American in 2008 at the University of Cincinnati, where his new head coach was serving as a graduate assistant in both seasons during the early stages of his career.

During Minter's second year in his first stint as a defensive coordinator at Indiana State University in 2012, he hired Mickens as a defensive assistant. After one year there, he went on to coach cornerbacks at the University of Idaho in 2013, Bowling Green from 2014 to 2017 and back to his Alma mater for two years in 2018 and 2019.

Impressive development track record

Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens gives direction to senior cornerback Cam Hart (5) as freshman Christian Gray (29). — Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens gives direction to senior cornerback Cam Hart (5) as freshman Christian Gray (29) and others look on during Notre Dame football fall camp Thursday, July 27, 2023, at the LaBar Practice Complex in South Bend. | Greg Swiercz / USA TODAY NETWORK

Mickens has worked with several of the most talented young defensive backs to enter the league in recent years. He coached two-time First Team All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner early in his career with the Bearcats and his first two years at Notre Dame overlapped with Ravens three-time All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton.

Other young promising defensive backs he has worked with and begun making names for themselves even more recently included Atlanta Falcons safety Xavier Watts, who recorded all NFL rookies with five interceptions in 2025, Tampa Bay Buccaneers second-round cornerback Benjamin Morrison and Los Angeles Chargers 2024 fifth-rounder Cam Hart.

Having both Minter and Mickens overseeing the continued development of the Ravens recently drafted young defensive backs, such as 2024 first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins, 2024 fourth-rounder T.J. Tampa and 2025 first-round safety Malaki Starks, will elevate the play of not only the secondary but the defense as a whole.

Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!