The Baltimore Ravens finally have a new head coach, and it’s Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. On Thursday, the Ravens announced they were signing Minter to a five-year deal to become the fourth head coach in Ravens history.
After an extensive search that included both offensive and defensive coaches, the Ravens went with the defensive-minded Minter, and he’s already drawing comparisons to a former beloved Ravens coach, Mike Macdonald.
Macdonald has the Seattle Seahawks on the doorstep of the Super Bowl as their head coach, but before that, he was with the Ravens, starting as a coaching intern in 2014 and becoming the defensive coordinator in 2023. The Seahawks head coach has become one of the most respected head coaches in the NFL, and the team hopes Minter will eventually be as well.
Macdonald Comparison
Jesse Minter and Mike Macdonald have a lot in common. Both were defensive assistants on the Ravens from 2017 to 2020, and both were defensive coordinators at the University of Michigan.
Now, both are NFL head coaches after serving as defensive coordinators for a Harbaugh brother.
The comparisons are hard to miss, and former Ravens safety Eric Weddle observed them as well. Weddle posted about it on his Twitter account after the news of Minter becoming head coach broke.
“He will have the same impact as Mike M in Seattle,” Weddle wrote. “Mark my words. Great hire!!!”
Waddle has hopes for the Ravens’ new head coach, and there is reason to believe he will be successful.
Players Respond to X’s and O’s Coaches
Many different types of coaches can connect with players. Upcoming Ravens free agent, veteran Kyle Van Noy, feels the best kind of coach to connect with this generation of players is an “X’s and O’s” coach.
Van Noy discussed his reasoning on the January 22 episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“How many leader of men coaches are there in the NFL? You can name Harbaugh, Tomlin, but he’s out, Vrabel,” Van Noy said. “My point is that this young generation, they enjoy X’s and O’s coaches. They want to know where they can have success, see success, they want you to put them in positions, they want you to teach them ‘ok I see you in this spot,’ and then go out, walk through it, and see it in a game, they respond really good to that from my point of view of being around X’s and O’s guys. That’s what this league is turning into.”
Ravens.com writer Ryan Mink on his Twitter account reposted a video of star Chargers safety Derwin James from November 2024 discussing what kind of leader Jesse Minter is.
“He’s that guy. He’s that leader, that alpha. Guys play hard for him,” James said. “He’s just that dude. Every day, you know what you’re doing to get with him.”
Replacing John Harbaugh will be no easy feat for Minter, and with comparisons being drawn to Mike Macdonald, he will come in with high expectations. The last two Ravens head coaches have led their teams to the Super Bowl, and now, with Minter, they hope to make it three in a row.
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