How Jesse Minter Became the Ravens' Head Coach

Before Thursday's introductory press conference, Jesse Minter convinced the Ravens he was ready to take center stage.

Baltimore talked to at least 20 candidates during their search for a head coach. But Minter was the person sitting between General Manager Eric DeCosta and President Sashi Brown, being introduced as the fourth head coach in franchise history.

"When this job opened, this became the one for me, and this was the one that I wanted," Minter said. "I was able to reconnect with people in this organization, and knowing the history, knowing the tradition, knowing the spine of the organization, kind of what it's built on, there was no better place for me."

Minter winning the competition to become the head coach is more affirmation of his growth, a rising star in his profession at age 42. He feels prepared to seize his biggest opportunity. The moment doesn't feel too big; it feels so right.

During his first tour of duty (2017-20) in Baltimore, Minter was a defensive assistant learning the ropes, climbing the ladder of his profession. He was a hard-working young coach, using every day as a chance to get better.

That's the coach DeCosta remembered from Minter's days with the Ravens, until several years ago.

"It was hard for me to envision Jesse like he is now, because my experience was with Jesse primarily in the draft years ago when he was analyzing all the bottom players on the draft board in the secondary," DeCosta said. "I just didn't really ever think of him like that, and that's me being honest."

However, Minter has evolved into a rising star in his profession, a coach who was heavily sought after during the offseason interview process. He interviewed in Atlanta, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Miami, Pittsburgh, and Tennessee, in addition to Baltimore. When the Ravens took a deep dive into their hiring process, Minter's name kept coming to the surface.

DeCosta praised Minter's work as defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Chargers over the last two years, part of the resume that landed him this opportunity. Minter's work stood out when the Ravens faced the Chargers during the 2024 season and again this year.

"Watching that defense, I'm like, 'Damn, this is a good team,'" DeCosta said. "This is a really good defense. Jesse's doing a hell of a job.'

"Then I think for me, as I started talking to people like [Chargers General Manager] Joe Hortiz or [former Ravens] Tony Jefferson or Eric Weddle or other people that I talked to, even before I met on the Zoom with Jesse, my opinion started to change."

Owner Steve Bisciotti, Executive Vice President Ozzie Newsome, and many other team officials watched with smiles Thursday as Minter answered questions. The Ravens have their guy, and the front office is fully behind him.

During an impromptu live drop-in on SportsCenter after the press conference, Bisciotti made it clear that it was DeCosta who hired Minter. The owner approved it.

"While he was with me in my office, I started to imagine Jesse as our head coach and what that might look like," DeCosta said. "It became very apparent that Jesse would be the guy we would target."

Former Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith was one of many former players in attendance on Thursday. Smith vividly remembers Minter as a coach who could get his message across to players clearly and quickly.

"He didn't talk to you in a loud voice, but he was so smart," Smith said. "He knows the X's and O's. He can tell you how to get better.

"As a player, you don't always see things the same way a coach does. A coach who can help you play better, who can see things that you can't? That's what you want. That's who Jesse is."

When Minter was breaking into coaching in 2006, he sent letters to tons of colleges trying to get his start. He has kept the 98 rejection letters he received for 20 years, but said that he does not coach with a chip on his shoulder. That's another manner in which Minter has grown.

"My mindset has shifted a bit in the last five or six years, away from proving people wrong, and more to proving people right," Minter said. "I've become more of an optimist, positive thinker.

"Those [letters] were more about staying humble. There's nothing guaranteed in this profession. It doesn't owe you anything."

Minter returns to Baltimore grateful for what he has achieved, but eager to accomplish much more. The Ravens finished 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021. A coaching change was made for the first time in 18 years. Minter knows he's walking into an organization where his job is to win right away.

Minter loves those high expectations. He was on the staff in 2019 when Baltimore had the best record in franchise history (14-2). Minter and now-Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald coached together in Baltimore for four years on the defensive staff. They are friends and still talk frequently, and Macdonald has led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl in just his second season.

Comparisons between Macdonald and Minter are bound to be made because they share those connections and more. Minter has coached under both John and Jim Harbaugh, two of the NFL's most successful coaches who have also helped shaped Minter's growth.

However, Minter is his own man, doing what he loves to do, exactly where he wants to be. He looked very comfortable sitting at the podium on Thursday after landing the opportunity of a lifetime.

"It wasn't because I knew everyone here that I wanted this job," Minter said. "It was because of my time here that I was able to see how this place operated, knowing that everything is in place to be a championship organization.

"I look forward to going to work, to prove the decision of these men up here right."

It's Minter's first time being a head coach at any level. That was the case for Harbaugh 18 years ago, too. Minter has come a long way since being a Ravens defensive assistant, now moving into the big office, and he feels ready for the job.

"[During] the last year, especially, I really felt strongly that I was getting more and more prepared to be in this situation, and I was hoping for an opportunity during this cycle," Minter said. "And then, sure enough, the Lord works in mysterious ways, and this job opened up, and it was a match made in heaven for me and my family."

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