ExtremeRavens Posted 13 hours ago Posted 13 hours ago The Ravens named Jesse Minter their next head coach, the team announced Thursday. Minter previously spent time as a Ravens assistant, and he was most recently the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers. Here’s what The Baltimore Sun’s sports staff has to say about the new hire: Brian Wacker, reporter The Ravens interviewed more than 15 candidates to replace fired coach John Harbaugh. Right from the start, Jesse Minter’s name began to percolate in NFL circles and for obvious reasons. He’d turned around defenses wherever he went. There was organizational and familial familiarity with him, with Minter having spent the past two seasons as Chargers defensive coordinator under Harbaugh’s younger brother Jim and Minter having worked in Baltimore previously. He was also, as ESPN analyst and former NFL executive Louis Riddick told The Baltimore Sun this week, a “rock solid” individual who has head coach written all over him. Riddick beamed about Minter is sharp, organized, detail-oriented, knows the game, prioritizes relationships and communication, understands it is not a one-size-fits-all league and understands the landscape of not just dealing with players but how to connect with them. That will be his first job, starting with quarterback Lamar Jackson after Harbaugh and Jackson had plateaued together. Minter’s addition should also help immediately spark a defensive turnaround for a unit that in 2023 led the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed. Defense has long been the identity of the organization and now the Ravens will shape things that way again with a fresh voice who will bring in an offensive coordinator to try to get the best out of Jackson and marry the two sides together in pursuit of a Super Bowl. Sam Cohn, reporter By all accounts, the Ravens went about this the right way. They went into the coaching search with a guy in mind, a familiar name who checks off their presumed boxes, while still casting a (very) wide net. Or, to borrow a phrase John Harbaugh liked to use: Turn over every stone. And by the end, they took Minter, the odds-on favorite all month. It sort of felt like the scene from “Draft Day” — Jesse Minter no matter what. Minter is a defensive-minded guy. The 42-year-old can be a new voice while still connecting to the lore of unrelenting Ravens defenses. He’s had incredible success the past four years as a defensive coordinator, first at Michigan then in Los Angeles. Minter feels like the right mix of fresh blood and proven candidate. He’s not one of the 30-year-old up-and-comers. He’s someone who the Ravens could fully invest their Super Bowl aspirations into. Remember, owner Steve Bisciotti said he’d be patient with the new guy. Just not too patient. “I’d probably give him five or six years,” he said, “as long as I like everything else I see in him.” Josh Tolentino, columnist Following an exhaustive coaching search that featured nearly two dozen candidates, the Ravens landed on Jesse Minter, a hire that reflects institutional familiarity and recent rising success. I’m a fan of both the team’s process and direction with the Ravens prioritizing a defensive coach, especially after two seasons of regression and multiple late-game collapses, all while carrying pricy defensive stars atop the roster. As owner Steve Bisciotti pointed out during his news conference last Tuesday, it became impossible to ignore the reality that the Ravens have failed to reach their lofty expectations in recent seasons. Minter, of course, has valuable history with the Ravens, previously serving as a defensive assistant, giving him first-hand knowledge of how the Ravens operate both from day-to-day and long-term developmental standpoints. Minter’s arrival represents only a portion of the equation, though. The franchise’s fourth head coach must now work hand in hand with Eric DeCosta and attempt to build a coaching staff that maximizes the talent on the roster headlined by quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson. If the Ravens are serious about maximizing the remainder of Jackson’s prime, then Minter’s most important early decisions may come in following days. The next offensive staff must be equally creative and adaptable, capable of evolving with Jackson after he endured an injury-filled season that saw him post career lows in rushing. Ultimately, Minter, 42, was hired to fix what’s been broken defensively and also to continue adding to an established culture. But like his predecessor John Harbaugh, he’ll ultimately be judged on whether he can oversee a complete operation. Bisciotti joked that his next head coach has a timeline of six years to win the team’s coveted third Lombardi Trophy. But after moving on from the most successful coach in franchise history, the pressure is on for Minter to beat that timeline with Jackson entering his age 29 season. Michael Howes, reporter After flirting with the idea of a retread coach, owner Steve Bisciotti and the Ravens ultimately turned to a first-time head coach. Minter fits much of the mold of former Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald: young, defensive-minded and shaped by his time at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh before calling plays in the NFL. That hire worked for Seattle with a looming NFC championship game in his second year. Minter should help stabilize a defense that has regressed over the past two seasons, but his most consequential decisions are still ahead — starting with his offensive coordinator hire. Bisciotti has made it clear the organization intends to build around quarterback Lamar Jackson, and Jackson’s involvement in the interview process suggests that alignment mattered. Who calls Jackson’s plays will go a long way toward determining whether the two-time NFL MVP can return to peak form — and whether Baltimore can execute Bisciotti’s vision of keeping its franchise quarterback engaged, productive and in Baltimore long term. Bennett Conlin, editor There are a lot of coaches who can win with Lamar Jackson, and Minter falls into that bucket. He’s widely respected by his coaching peers, and he brings a familiarity with the Ravens’ organization. Baltimore interviewed well over a dozen candidates, and Minter must have impressed ownership and Jackson. That’s a good sign. But this hire won’t be successful unless Minter wins a Super Bowl. It’s Super Bowl or bust with Jackson at quarterback. Minter can get it done. I thought Harbaugh could, too, but he didn’t. On paper, this hiring looks great. Will Minter make a seemingly obvious pairing pay off? At the very least, I’d anticipate Baltimore returning to the postseason in the very near future. Have a news tip? Contact Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article Quote
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