Jesse Minter was 11 years old when his dad, Rick Minter, made his head coaching debut at the University of Cincinnati.
Jesse attended the game, and it didn't take him long to move from the stands to the sideline. So his father gave Jesse a job – to keep his dad's headset cord from getting tangled.
It didn't work out. Jesse was much too distracted by the game. When it comes to football, the Ravens' new head coach is always drawn to the action.
"I turn around and Jesse's gone," Rick said. "My other son, Josh his older brother, had the cord. I saw Jesse down the sideline aways, just watching this game with watchful eyes. He never carried the cord again. He just wanted to be where he could see the game.
"It's been amazing to me as a dad, and a former coach and defensive coordinator, to watch this young man come along. I've just marveled at watching him grow. I think he's earned his stripes. He's ready to roll."
Rick knows his opinion is biased, but the Ravens agree with it. The younger Minter is now the coaching star of the family at age 42, the youngest head coach in Ravens history. He learned a lot from his father, a longtime coach who played a critical role helping his son build a foundation in the profession.
"The first half of my career, there was nobody more influential than my dad," Jesse said.
When Jesse decided he wanted to become a coach after playing football at Mount St. Joseph University (Ohio), Rick used his connections to help his son get started.
Jesse began his career after college as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 1996, where his father was the defensive coordinator. That wasn't the last time the Minters worked side by side. They reunited on the defensive staff at Indiana State in 2019, and when Rick left the Sycamores after one season, Jesse was elevated to defensive coordinator the following year.
When Jesse became a defensive coordinator for the first time at Georgia State (2013-16), Rick gained a different perspective on his son. He spent one season at Georgia State (2016) working as the defensive line coach under Jesse. Watching his son call the defensive plays, run meetings, and interact with players told Rick everything he needed to know.
"It was role reversal, I was working for Jesse," Rick said. "He was the boss. I got to see him in a true leadership role. I started to see how he put things together, how he analyzes the game.
"It's very impressive how he's able to break down an opposing offense, put together a workable plan, get the players to buy in. He's done that at Michigan, he's done it with the Chargers, but he's been doing it for a long time."
Before Jesse got his first NFL job as part of the Ravens' defensive staff in 2017, Rick called John Harbaugh to recommend Jesse for the position. Harbaugh was his special teams coach at Cincinnati.
"I told John, 'You need to get Jesse in the NFL,'" Minter said. "'He's like you – bright, great work ethic, coach's kid.' Jesse went up for an interview and came back with a contract in hand. Mike Macdonald was on the staff, Wink [Martindale], Dean Pees, Chris Hewitt, who played for me at Cincinnati. It was a great environment for Jesse to learn and grow."
Over the past three seasons, Jesse's career has taken off. He won a national championship at Michigan as a defensive coordinator in 2023. He became a cutting-edge defensive coordinator with the Chargers in 2024 and 2025 and helped them make the playoffs both seasons.
Now, Minter is the fourth head coach in Ravens history, and his family was beaming at his introductory press conference. They have every right to be proud and have enjoyed sharing the journey with Minter.
He has evolved as a coach, but according to his father, Minter's core values as person have remained the same. Rick believes it will be easy for Ravens fans and players to feel connected to the new coach.
"Jesse is a little like the Pied Piper," Rick said. "He attracts people. He's not an outlandish, braggadocios, talk-about-me type of guy. People want to be around him. I know that's what
the players are going to see. 'Come follow me. Trust me. Have some blind faith. I know what I'm doing. Get on board.'
"As a dad, I couldn't be more proud, happy for him and [wife] Rachelle and their three children. As a coach, I know this opportunity is well deserved. He's got a great job, and I'm looking forward to him taking it and running with it."
