New Ravens Head Coach Jesse Minter will answer a variety of questions after he's introduced at Thursday's press conference.
However, there hasn't been much time for him to tackle what lies ahead. Here are some of the top questions on Minter's to-do list as he begins his tenure as the fourth head coach in Ravens history:
Who will be part of Minter's first staff, particularly his offensive coordinator?
Minter has plunged headfirst into building his staff. He has reportedly hired former Atlanta Falcons Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Dwayne Ledford, Notre Dame defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, and assistant offensive line coach Shawn Flaherty.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Minter had not made the key move of hiring an offensive coordinator. According to reports, the Ravens' offensive coordinator candidates so far include Broncos Pass Game Coordinator Davis Webb, Bears Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle, Lions Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers Coach Scottie Montgomery, and former Commanders Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Minter rose through the coaching ranks on the defensive side. Even after he hires a defensive coordinator, Minter will be heavily involved in the defense and may also be the play caller.
However, Minter is expected to lean on his offensive coordinator as a play caller and designer of schemes. The offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach will have important working relationships with two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, whose performance and health are so critical to the team's success.
The Ravens' offense took a dive from No. 1 in the NFL in 2024 to No. 16 in 2025. Minter's most important hire may be finding the right offensive coordinator to reignite Baltimore's attack.
How will Minter go about improving the Ravens defensively?
Baltimore's defense ranked 6th overall in 2023, 10th in 2024, and fell to 24th this past season. The Ravens expect Minter to stop that decline. He's considered one of the brightest defensive minds in the NFL, and his reputation only grew as the Los Angeles Chargers' defensive coordinator over the past two seasons.
The Chargers had the league's fifth-ranked defense in 2025 and were No. 1 in red-zone defense in 2024. Minter took full advantage of having versatile safety Derwin James, deploying him in multiple ways as a blitzer, run defender, or in pass coverage.
At Michigan, Minter used now-Washington Commanders defensive back Mikey Sainristil as a versatile nickelback who helped the Wolverines win a national title.
In Baltimore, Minter will have perhaps the game's ultimate chess piece in All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton. Cerebral inside linebacker Roquan Smith is coming off his fourth Pro Bowl season. Safety Malaki Starks, linebacker Teddye Buchanan, and pass rusher Mike Green are talented young players just one season into their careers.
Young players have a history of blossoming under Minter, like former Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, who had 7.5 sacks in 12 games for the Chargers after being traded midseason. Minter certainly has designs to get Baltimore's defense back to the level it's accustomed to.
How quickly will Minter establish his culture?
A few key players like Lamar Jackson, Marlon Humphrey, Mark Andrews, Patrick Ricard, and Ronnie Stanley already know Minter from his time on the Ravens' defensive staff (2017-2020).
Yet, a significant portion of the roster has only played for one NFL head coach – John Harbaugh. Minter worked for both John and Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and will surely bring things he learned from the Harbaugh playbook to this job.
However, some things the Ravens do may be tweaked during OTAs, minicamp, and training camp, and the players will be taking their cues from a different voice. His ability to communicate effectively is often mentioned as one of Minter's biggest strengths. The quicker that players see Minter's vision, the better.
875: Rick Minter Talks About His Son's Return to Baltimore, Coaching Roots & More
Team insiders Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing speak with Rick Minter, father of new Head Coach Jesse Minter and longtime coach himself, about how Jesse has grown as a coach, what makes him ready to be a head coach for the first time, what his defense will look like, when his family knew he was destined for coaching, and more.
How will Minter's evaluation of the roster impact the Ravens' offseason moves?
Minter has competed against the Ravens and has opinions on the roster. Those thoughts will be shared with General Manager Eric DeCosta, scouts, and the front office as they shape the roster this offseason.
Are there particular traits that Minter prefers regarding size and speed at certain positions? Which players seem like natural fits for his scheme, and which do not?
The answer to those questions will be taken into consideration when the Ravens are evaluating players leading up to free agency and the draft.
How will Minter delegate responsibility as a first-time head coach?
Will Minter be the defensive play caller on game days or delegate that to someone else? How will he juggle the extra media demands and other responsibilities that come with being a head coach?
The 42-year-old Minter is young and energetic, which will serve him well as he embarks on the biggest challenge of his career. But some things he doesn't expect to happen, good and bad, are bound to happen. Coaches who have worked with Minter expect him to learn the dos and don'ts quickly as a first-time head coach, which will be vital to his success.
"I don't think there's anything that can totally prepare you to be a head coach," said Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea, who hired Minter away from the Ravens to become Vanderbilt's defensive coordinator in 2021. "It's something you have to experience and learn from.
"The thing about Jesse is, he's a teacher and he understands it's a players' game. He doesn't make it about him. The other thing is, he's going to make mistakes. We've all made mistakes, but it's not about being perfect. It's recognizing where the gaps are as a head coach and moving quickly to fix them. That's Jesse. He adapts quickly."
