Sashi Brown Opening Statement: "Something's wrong [to see owner] Steve [Bisciotti], [executive vice president] 'Oz' [Ozzie Newsome] and [president emeritus] Dick [Cass] sitting down there watching us – I can tell you that. But, thanks for being here and thanks for coming. [It's] special and a really exciting day. I'll be brief, throw it over to [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta], and then we'll open up with [head coach] Jesse [Minter]'s remarks. I want to first acknowledge that it's great to see a number of our former and a couple of our current players here. It's always great to have the family back in the building, so thanks guys for being here, and I appreciate that. [It's an] exciting time for us. [We've had] 30 years in the books of Ravens football history here in Baltimore, and we're at an important time for our locker room. We know we have the talent to go out and pursue championships now. When we set out to find our new coach, we wanted to make sure that we were very serious about bringing a great leader, but also a great person to this organization, to our locker room, and we found that in Jesse Minter, who will be the next Ravens head coach. Eric did a fantastic job leading our process. It was fun and intense working with him, but [I was] left with a true and reestablished appreciation for him and his work and his team. We're really excited to have Jesse here as our coach, and I'll turn it over to Eric."
Eric DeCosta Opening Statement: "Yes, thanks [president] Sashi [Brown]. Shout out to our players and our legends that are here today. It's great to see you guys. [Owner] Steve [Bisciotti] challenged us a few weeks ago to find the next coach who would be here for 18 years, and if we do our job, I won't be here, which is great. We spent two weeks; it was a sprint to the finish. We talked to at least 20 candidates in different formats – [via] Zoom, in person, on the phone. [I'm] really, really proud of the process, and it became apparent quickly that [head coach] Jesse Minter was the right guy to be our next head football coach. Jesse's smart; he's a leader; he has great humility; he's a problem solver [and] a great tactician. We've enjoyed watching his defenses play, and he started at the bottom, and now he's here. I think that's great. I'm so happy to work with him as a partner over the coming months and coming years, and I think this is a great day for the Baltimore Ravens."
Jesse Minter Opening Statement: "Thank you. I also want to shout out the players for being here. I really appreciate that and the former players as well. It's great to see all you guys. I'm truly honored and humbled to be here as the head football coach of the Baltimore Ravens. I want to thank [owner] Steve Bisciotti, [executive vice president and general manager] Eric DeCosta, [executive vice president] Ozzie Newsome, [president] Sashi Brown, [president emeritus] Dick Cass and the entire organization for their trust and belief in me to lead this football team. I didn't get here on my own. I really want to shout out the Spanos family, [Los Angeles Chargers general manager] Joe Hortiz, [Los Angeles Chargers head coach] Jim Harbaugh, and the Chargers for the wonderful opportunity to serve as the defensive coordinator there the last two years. Joe and Jim's guidance, in particular, and their mentorship has meant the world to me and has helped me prepare me for this moment. I also want to thank the defensive staff there, guys I work with every day. Most importantly, the [Chargers] players. I cherished our time together; I wish them the best; I love all you guys. To my family, my parents, my brother, my in-laws, my nieces and nephews – thank you. I'm incredibly grateful to take this next step alongside my wife, Rachelle – she's my best friend. Our children – Millie, Monte and Mac – who are now superstars thanks to the Twitter and YouTube videos that were out on them last night. You guys mean everything to me, and we're on this journey together, as we always have been. Now it's time to get to work. We get to go to work. The 'we' is important. It takes everybody to be successful. I look forward to empowering our players and the coaches that we bring in. We will create our own standards that will allow us to reach our ultimate goals together. Thank you again. The responsibility to the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland is not lost on me. It's one I look forward to. I look forward to going to work, to prove the decision of these men up here right. And to our players – I really can't wait to get to work with you guys. We will build a true team built on toughness, fundamentals, a team that plays together, and we will work to be the best team in the National Football League. We will be at our best when our best is needed – I think that's really important. To the Ravens flock – thank you. My family and I – we feel your passion and energy. We are thrilled to join the great fan base again, and we'll make you all proud. Thank you."
One of the reasons there is a coaching change here is because of the underperforming in the postseason. You touched upon it a little bit there, but what is your vision to elevate this team to that next level? (Jamison Hensley)
(MINTER) "That's a great question. I appreciate that. I really think building a really cohesive team that all the work that you do leads to being successful in those opportunities. So, I think we will create standards that match the goals that we want to achieve and then work every day tirelessly to get to that point. Our plan will be built on being at our best late in the season into the playoffs, and I look forward to that challenge."
Can you talk about this process and what was it like to go through it? I guess you interviewed with almost every team. Was it the Ravens' opening that you sort of circled at the beginning and thought, "This is where I want to be, if we can work this out?" (Jeff Zrebiec)
(MINTER) "Yes, great question. It's great to see you again. I think when the process started, you really have no idea what jobs are going to be open. As you get towards the middle and end of the season, you feel like you might be a candidate. But, when this job opened, this became the one for me, and this was the one that I wanted. I did go through the initial process with a lot of different teams, but as 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."
You've already mentioned that you've spoken with QB Lamar Jackson. Just curious, when did that conversation take place, and what was the gist of it? How do you envision getting the most out of somebody who's obviously already been a two-time MVP? (Brian Wacker)
(MINTER) "Lamar [Jackson] and I have had multiple conversations. It's been great. It's been great to get to know him. I think relationships take time, and so you don't become the head coach of the Ravens and expect to have a deep relationship with anybody. So, those take time. We've been working towards that already. We've had wonderful conversations. I look forward to many, many more. But with Lamar, I just look forward to connecting with him, helping him become the best version of himself, creating a team identity that allows him to thrive, which he's already proven to be an elite, elite – one of the best players in the National Football League – and put a team around him that allows him to reach that ultimate goal of bringing a Super Bowl back to Baltimore."
Did you get a chance to talk with John Harbaugh about this job, and what are some of the things he offered maybe to you about why you might fit in here so well as the head coach? (Pete Gilbert)
(MINTER) "Yes, I've talked to [New York Giants head coach] 'Coach' [John Harbaugh] a couple times. [I have] tons of respect for John. The 18 years here, the wonderful success, a Super Bowl [victory], [and he'll] probably [be] in the Ring of Honor one day. So, [I have] tons of respect for everything that he's done. We've had just a couple of small conversations. He knows how I feel about this place. He did text me, 'I think they should hire you.' That was just one of the texts he sent, so I appreciated that. But I love John. [It's] really just like, take the foundation in place and build on it, make it better, put my own spin on it and not try to be John Harbaugh, not try to be Jim Harbaugh, be myself, connect with everybody, make it about all of us, and I really look forward to doing that."
Executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta mentioned you worked your way up from the bottom here, starting as a defensive assistant. Can you reflect on that journey and how much more special it makes it to work your way up that way? (Ryan Mink)
(MINTER) "It makes it really special. I went into this process, and I told [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] this; it wasn't because I knew everybody here that I wanted this job. It was because of my time here that I was able to see how this place operates and knowing that everything is in place to be a championship organization. I think my time being here allowed me to see that. I certainly just have the respect and humility of working your way up. And now, I think anybody that comes into our coaching staff, comes into our organization, you put your head down, and you go to work, and you work every day to try to be the best, whatever that role is, whether it's the defensive assistant, the assistant defensive backs coach, the defensive backs coach, and now as the head coach. If you really focus on that and try to be the best at your job, anything is possible. It's great to have that. This is a great opportunity, and I look forward to the journey."
Some Chargers players that you coached last year described you as an alpha. Talking to some coaches and players who you worked with in the past, they said that that wasn't really the Jesse Minter that they remember working with. Can you talk about your evolution to a guy who can command a room, especially in the NFL with as many egos and big-time names as there are? (Jonas Shaffer)
(MINTER) "I think it's learning. It's just always trying to evolve, always trying to get better. I think when I came in here, I had been a small college defensive coordinator, so I had stood up in front of the room and called defenses before and done those things. But, I really made it a point here to come in and learn and listen and get to know the players and learn from them about what it took to be successful at this level. I had great players around and great coaches to work with, and then just my confidence has grown as I've been in those positions now for a while. [When you have] been in the leadership positions, your confidence grows, and your own style sort of begins to come out. I think that's really been the evolvement, but it's really about trying to get better every day, trying to learn and grow, learn from everybody, listen to people and always try to get better. I think that's what's led me to this point."
With you being a defensive guy, there have been a lot of questions about if you plan on calling your defense. And if so, how do you delegate that, knowing your responsibilities and scope of that is so much more than being a defensive coordinator? (Luke Jones)
(MINTER) "I do plan on calling the defense – great question. I think that's a strength of mine. I think that's one of the reasons I'm sitting here, but I also think it's my leadership qualities. I have a really good process, I feel, to do what I need to do to be ready to call the game, but I also have the ability to be the head coach and to impact the entire roster – the entire team – and make sure that it's our offense, our defense, our special teams, and that there's no divide there. I know that I'm in charge of all that, but it really starts with the relationships with the people in the building, particularly the players. I think they'll feel my competitiveness, they'll feel my mentality every day, and I think we'll work hand in hand together to build a great team."
You have a guy in S Kyle Hamilton on the defensive side of the ball. He's been used all over the field in this defense. What is your vision for a guy like Kyle Hamilton? (Cordell Woodland)
(MINTER) "Great question. Kyle [Hamilton] is a weapon. He is a positionless defensive player that I would classify as a weapon on defense. As much as you can do to get a guy like Kyle near the point of attack, I think, is what you try to do as a designer [or] playcaller. I could not be more thrilled to be able to work with Kyle. I've had a couple of really good conversations with him already. I know he's excited, and I'm excited to work with him alongside all the really great players that we have in this organization."
The relationships between the coach and the general manager have been very important here. I would ask both Jesse and Eric, do you feel that the fact that you guys do have some background together will let you sort of hit the ground running that way? Will the structure be similar to what it was in the past, where you both report to owner Steve Bisciotti or will the chain of command be any different? (Childs Walker)
(MINTER) "I think it's a partnership with [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] and I, and that's really what I was looking for in this whole process was a partnership and somebody that you really, really trust. I do think the background of how Eric operates was what I was most excited about, having seen him do this job prior, and so I couldn't be more thrilled about our relationship beginning to grow and beginning to develop, and I know that we see football the same, we see what building a team looks like the same, and there's nobody I'd rather be sitting next to than Eric DeCosta."
As far as coaching hires, are there any that you can confirm? As far as offensive and defensive coordinator go, how is that search going? What's the timeline, and what are you looking for in those particular two positions? (Morgan Adsit)
(MINTER) "Great question. I won't confirm any hires at this point. Both of those searches are going really well. They're very far along, I would say. We're finalizing a few of those pieces. I'm looking for leaders and connectors and relationship builders and schematic expertise, but most importantly, guys that the players believe in. [Coaches] that are willing to dive deep and build really strong relationships with the players. I think [we will excel] when they feel that it's collaborative, and they feel that it's ours and not just the coaches, and [don't think that] this is what the players do, and this is what the coaches do. It's all of us, so I'm excited about the people involved in those searches right now, and I look forward to sharing those in the near future."
Eric, as you went through this process, what was the point where you made the decision as a group and said that head coach Jesse Minter is the guy that we want? What tipped the scales in that direction? (Garrett Downing)
(DeCOSTA) "Good question. First, I just really want to thank [president] Sashi [Brown] and [executive vice president] Ozzie, and [director of data & decision science] Derrick [Yam] was a big part of this, as well, and everybody else. We got a lot of information. We talked to many, many people, and we had a number of Zooms. We got them scheduled very quickly. We started almost immediately with our process. As I said, it was a sprint. We treated it like a two-week draft, essentially. In most cases, we'd have two interviews a day at various times of the day. It was just really interesting. It was valuable for me, personally, to talk to all these extremely intelligent great leaders from other teams to see how they do things. I learned a lot. It's not something that you want to do every year, certainly, but to do it once I think was a very, very valuable experience for me, and I think Ozzie and Sashi would say the same thing. As we went through the first round, we started to see patterns develop, and we really did kind of come out with four or five people that we thought were probably, for us, the 'cream of the crop' or at least the finalists that we would envision. Obviously, NFL rules make it difficult to interview all the candidates the same way, given that some teams are still playing. We came out of the process, and we were talking about the next step. Most of our interviews had been over Zoom. We brought some guys in. [Head coach] Jesse [Minter] was one of those guys that we brought in as a finalist, and he just blew us away in person. As good as his Zoom interview was, I think spending time with him in Baltimore was even more valuable. I think at that point, while he was with me in my office, I started to imagine Jesse as our head coach and what that might look like. As we got feedback from other people, from Steve [Bisciotti], from Ozzie, from Sashi and from everybody who had a chance to contribute, it became very apparent that Jesse was really the guy that we would target to be our next head coach."
You received a tremendous amount of praise from a lot of guys that you coached with along your journey. One of them was from P.J. Volker, defensive coordinator at the Naval Academy. What was that journey like coming through with so many guys that are doing well? Was there a moment in time when you thought, "Hey, I can do this. I can be a head coach in the NFL?" (Keith Mills)
(MINTER) "I appreciate that question. Just being able to come up with so many great coaches that I've worked with along the way ... [Navy defensive coordinator/linebackers coach] P.J. [Volker] and I were college teammates. I love what he's done over there at the Naval Academy, [with] him and [head] coach [Brian] Newberry with that defense. The experience of going through it and being able to observe [former Ravens head coach] John Harbaugh [and] the guys that have been really successful in these types of roles. I think as I got to the Chargers – especially after my first year being back in the NFL – and [then] being in a leadership position as a coordinator, I felt like I could do the job, and I felt like I was preparing myself for this moment and for this opportunity. So, [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. 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."
For you, how surreal is it to be back here with the bigger office as you talked about, and what transpired with you leaving and going to Vanderbilt? Can you take us through that? And then Eric, I know Steve Bisciotti had wanted some of the players involved in the process. Were Lamar Jackson, Kyle Hamilton and guys like that involved in some of the process? (Jerry Coleman)
(MINTER), "During 2020, the COVID year, I was a defensive backs coach here, and [former defensive coordinator Don] 'Wink' [Martindale] was the defensive coordinator. We had a great defensive staff. It's been well documented what all those coaches are doing now, and it was really just a kind of a 'shoot-your-shot' moment for myself. I hit it off with [Vanderbilt head coach] Clark Lea, who's still a dear friend and the head coach at Vanderbilt. He reached out to me about being his defensive coordinator, we kind of hit it off, and I decided to do it. I decided to leave really just on my own accord and won the opportunity to kind of run the defense and see if what I had learned here could be put into action. And so that was a great part of my journey going with Clark, who's now one of my best friends in the profession. I went from there to [the University of] Michigan, and then from there to the Chargers, and back here. So, it was definitely a major part of me being prepared to be in this situation now."
(DeCOSTA) "Yes, Jerry. We had a small group of players kind of split evenly among offense and defense. We could have picked a lot of guys. We tried to pick a small group of veteran players that had inquired about being a part of the process. They had the opportunity to come into Baltimore or be a part of a Zoom. We had both. We had some guys on Zoom, and we had some guys that were in person, and they met with all the finalists. So, over the last week of the process, they met with all the candidates that were coming in, and I can also say that some of our players are still involved in the process and will be involved with the process as it pertains to coordinators and other hires as well, which we're excited about. Their opinion was valuable and very helpful. They came at it from a different perspective as players. The feedback that we got from the candidates was fantastic. I think the questions and the approaches that they attacked it with were very thoughtful and helpful, I think, in the overall decision."
I read a story about you that you still keep all the rejection letters you got when you were trying to start your coaching career from schools. Can you talk about why you did that? And do you still, even to this day, kind of have a chip on your shoulder to prove anyone who may doubt your ability? (Cliff Brown)
(MINTER) "That's a great question. I've kept those along the way, and I think my mindset has shifted maybe in the last five or six years to away from proving people wrong and more to proving people right. I think I've become a little bit more of an optimist and a positive thinker when you want to prove people rather than the negative connotation of proving people wrong. But, I think those were more about staying humble and knowing that, in this profession, there's nothing guaranteed in this profession. It doesn't owe you anything, and every opportunity is a wonderful opportunity. So just trying to get your foot in the door in the very beginning, and you never know, and then, finally somebody gives you that shot, and you appreciate it. Then you respect the people that didn't and try to work really hard, stay humble and be where your feet are. That's just a reminder of those different opportunities throughout my career."
How would you describe your football identity in one sentence, and what do you want this team to be known for when people turn on your film? (David Andrade)
(MINTER) "Our football identity – I would say – is physical, tough, relentless and [playing] together. I think when people turn on our film, I want them to see a team that's really well connected [and] that plays for each other. And I think when you do that – when you play like a Raven – you play together. It's more about everybody that's out there with you. You're not just playing for yourself; you're playing for everybody. There's a physicality that comes along with that. There's a mental and physical toughness that comes along with that. There are schematic things that come along with that. All the great coaches over time that have been here and that have led historical outputs on both sides of the ball. I think that all encompasses what it means to play like a Raven. And I'm really look forward to building that with our team, creating our own identity in that regard and building on what's been done here in the past."
You came up working a lot with your dad, and you've worked with a lot of great coaches throughout the years. For you, who's been one of your biggest coaching influences that sort of helped you figure out who you plan to be as a head coach? (Sam Cohn)
(MINTER) "I heard my dad say this the other day, and it kind of hit me. The first half of my career, there was nobody more influential than my dad. He was the first person I worked for out of college. I was an intern for him. Obviously, we had been together at quite a few stops. And then when I came here in 2017, I got alongside both [John and Jim] Harbaugh over the last part of my career, so I would say those three have been very influential on me – all with their own different styles and that are all different, and so I've tried to take things from all of them that help prepare me to be myself and to be that best head coach I can be."
You touched on it earlier as far as building a relationship with QB Lamar Jackson, but how will you approach building a relationship with the entire team? And when you saw the roster, what stood out to you the most? (Carita Parks)
(MINTER) "Yes, relationships just take time. So, it's [about having] constant conversations, it's [about] reaching out, it's [about] getting together, and it's [about] listening. I think that's a major piece of relationships is listening and having conversations and hearing people. And so that'll be done with everybody. There's certainly a lot of guys on the team, and I really look forward to having very strong relationships with all of them. And the second part, [we have an] unbelievable caliber of people, first, and players. So, players that have [won awards] like MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year and Pro Bowls. There's great talent here. The roster has been really well constructed. We see football the same way in terms of what kind of team you want to build, and so I'm really just looking forward to getting to work with those guys. There's a great roster in place, but it takes a lot of work, and it takes being together, and it takes being committed to doing things a certain way to achieve the results that we want to achieve. So, I most look forward to taking the roster, getting to know them really well, building relationships and working together to build the type of team that we feel like will help us win championships."
When you look at what the Ravens did last year defensively, what are some of the most important areas of improvement in your mind? (Noah Trister)
(MINTER) "I'll dive deep into that over the next month or so. I have a ton of respect for the coaches that have been here [and] the players. I think about defense a certain way. They'll learn how I think about it and how I feel about it. I think there's a fundamental level needed [that's] required to play great defense that we will harp on tremendously, and so I look forward to getting with the guys [and for] them to kind of learn my thoughts on how you play great defense. I look forward to going to work on that."
Eric and Sashi, this was your first time going through this kind of process. Did anything surprise you as you went through this process? (Ken Weinman)
(DeCOSTA) "Yes, I was part of the John Harbaugh [hiring] process, as well. [I was] in that search with [owner] Steve [Bisciotti] and [executive vice president] Ozzie [Newsome] and [president emeritus] Dick [Cass] and some others, and back then, we didn't know what Zoom was. There was no Zoom. We had a bunch of guys that came in. Talented coaches came to the building. We met with them all day, and we came up with a couple finalists. With Zoom – we've lived that world – you have the chance to talk to a lot of people and gather as much information as you can. There is a great value to an organization to go through that process this way. It was time consuming. It took a lot of people [and] other people like [vice president of football administration] Nick Matteo, [chief of staff to the general manager] Jenn Hoffman and [senior director of football information] Megan McLaughlin. There were a lot of people that were very, very involved. We learned a lot, and we had a chance to canvas a wide net and talk to the very, very best people in the NFL. I think that made this process thorough and also very good for the Ravens."
(BROWN) "Yes, I think 'E' [executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta] is right. The integration of technology allows us to talk to a lot more people in a very short amount of time, which is an opportunity and a challenge, because you have to distill all that information and then get important candidates to your next round. I think what was unique here – and I wouldn't say it surprised us, but I think it emboldened us about our decision around [head coach] Jesse [Minter] – was just how much inbound feedback we got when people understood we were talking to him [from] players [and] coaches from all of his stops. We wouldn't even have to reach out. We were intentional about reaching out, but we prize understanding what other people who worked alongside him [and] were coached by him felt about him as a person, but also as a coach. That was a really pleasant surprise and a great influence on us through the process."
I think owner Steve Bisciotti said a few weeks ago that candidates who were known to the Ravens would sort of be graded on a curve. You guys would have to kind of look for ways to see what you didn't already know about them. I was wondering, for Eric DeCosta and Sashi Brown, what did that look like for head coach Jesse Minter? For Eric, kind of posing a previous question again: is Jesse reporting to Steve for a partnership like you had with former head coach John Harbaugh? (Kyle Goon)
(DeCOSTA) "I could say that when I heard [head coach] Jesse [Minter]'s name as a possible candidate, 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. I just didn't really ever think of him like that, and that's me being honest. But watching him last year – we played [Minter and the Chargers] last year – and watching that defense, I'm like, 'Damn, this is a good team. 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 safeties] 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. Just like it would with a player in the draft who, maybe you see him playing against a bad team – and he doesn't play that great or whatever it is – but then you watch him against better competition, and he plays better and better and better and better, and you're like, 'This guy is really, really good.' I think it takes a whole process of accumulating information and really removing all the biases that you have in your head, so that's one thing I would say. The second thing [with] this organization [is] we've had a lot of success in a situation where the head coach and the general manager are partners and both report to the owner. We won two Super Bowls that way, [and] we've won a lot of games that way, and we believe in that system – working together, fighting together and figuring things out together – and so, I'm very proud of my relationship with Coach [John] Harbaugh. I started out at the bottom, as well – like Jesse – back as a player personnel assistant, and I was blessed to watch [longtime general manager] Ozzie [Newsome] with Coach [Ted] Marchibroda and Coach [Brian] Billick and Coach Harbaugh. For me, that became the standard, and that's what I aspire to, and I believe Jesse feels the same way."
