Jesse Minter coaching history: Why Chargers DC could be next Mike Macdonald
When the Los Angeles Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh during the 2024 NFL offseason, most were excited to see what he would accomplish working with Justin Herbert.
While Herbert has been strong in the first half of the season, the Chargers defense has been the bigger reason for the team's success.
Los Angeles' stop unit has transformed from a middling underachiever into one of the NFL's best under coordinator Jesse Minter. They are allowing a league-low 13.1 points per game this season and could become the first team since the 1990 New York Giants to hold their first 10 opponents to 21 or fewer points in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Naturally, this success has allowed Minter to develop some serious hype. Harbaugh even suggested that he believes the 41-year-old will end up being a head coach in 2025.
"There's an it factor there," Harbaugh said of Minter, per ESPN.
Here's what to know about Minter's coaching history as he shapes himself into one of the top candidates of the 2025 hiring cycle.
Jesse Minter coaching history
Minter started his coaching career as a defensive intern at Notre Dame in 2006. He spent the next decade working in college football, holding assistant roles at Cincinnati and Indiana State before becoming a defensive coordinator for the Sycamores and at Georgia State.
In 2017, Minter broke into the NFL as an assistant on John Harbaugh's staff with the Baltimore Ravens. He spent the next four seasons working largely as a defensive backs coach before getting a chance to serve as Vanderbilt's defensive coordinator in 2021.
After a year at Vanderbilt, Minter got a chance to replace Mike Macdonald as Michigan's defensive coordinator. Minter worked for two years in tandem with Harbaugh and turned the Wolverines into one of the best defenses in the country. That powered Michigan to a national title win, after which Harbaugh and Minter defected for the NFL.
Now, Minter is in his first season with the Chargers and is achieving great results. They rank first in the NFL in scoring (13.1 points per game allowed) and sixth in yardage allowed (302.1) through 10 weeks and appear to be a legitimate wild-card contender.
Jesse Minter coaching timeline
Below is a full look at Minter's coaching timeline:
- Notre Dame, defensive intern (2006)
- Cincinnati, graduate assistant (2007-08)
- Indiana State, linebackers coach (2009-10)
- Indiana State, defensive coordinator (2011-12)
- Georgia State, defensive coordinator (2013-16)
- Baltimore Ravens, defensive assistant (2017-18)
- Baltimore Ravens, assistant defensive backs coach (2019)
- Baltimore Ravens, defensive backs coach (2020)
- Vanderbilt, defensive coordinator & safeties coach (2021)
- Michigan, defensive coordinator (2022-23)
- Los Angeles Chargers, defensive coordinator (2024)
Jesse Minter landing spots
Minter's rise is similar to that of Macdonald, who coached for both Harbaugh brothers before the Seahawks hired him to be the NFL's youngest head coach during the 2024 offseason.
Minter, 41, is a few years older than his former Michigan and Ravens counterpart, but he has a similar transformative defensive scheme. That will make him appealing to teams that have good defensive personnel but simply need a stronger play-caller to manage them.
With that in mind, there are several potential landing spots Minter could consider if he gets head coaching interviews in 2024:
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are facing a longer-term rebuild because of their salary cap situation, so any hire they make won't be expected to lead the team to contention right away. That could behoove Minter, who could focus on developing the young talent New Orleans has in the secondary, like Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry, early in his tenure.
New Orleans is also being tasked with transitioning away from some of the defense's key, veteran playmakers like Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu. That process won't be easy, but Minter – given his player-friendly scheme and proven development skills – would be an ideal choice to lead it.
The only hang-up is that New Orleans might want to go back to an offensive-minded head coach after rolling with Dennis Allen, a former defensive coordinator, for two-plus years. Barring a clear-cut path to an upgrade over Derek Carr, the Saints may be better off keeping the status quo on that side of the ball while focusing on bringing the defense back to a consistent, top-10 level.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Doug Pederson is seemingly thin ice with the Jaguars in the midst of a 2-8 season. That said, Jacksonville's defense is more of a notable problem than its offense. The Jaguars are allowing a league-high 390.6 yards per game, and that has put pressure on Trevor Lawrence to overcome the team's issues.
Minter would be able to help Jacksonville get its stop unit back on track for the first time since the team's AFC championship game run following the 2017 NFL season. That could help key a quick return to playoff contention for the Jaguars.
New York Giants
Many presume that the Giants will target another offensive-minded head coach if they part with Brian Daboll. That said, Minter could be a good fit in New York, as he would get to work with a trio of talented pass rushers in Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The Giants are already leading the NFL in sacks per game (3.9) but Minter could help them become even more fearsome if he can coach up New York's defensive backs. He could quickly turn the Giants defense from a high-pressure unit to a true, top-five defense if he can better piece together the back end.
The Giants are almost certainly going to replace Daniel Jones during the 2025 NFL offseason barring a shock though, so their preference will probably be to pair their new signal-caller with an offensive-minded coach. But perhaps if they go the veteran route rather than targeting a draft pick, Minter could end up in play for this job.
New York Jets
Would the Jets really go with another defensive coach after the way Robert Saleh's time in New York ended? That remains a big question, but Minter would help the Jets retain their status as a top-10 NFL defense, and he may even get them back to a top-five level.
Minter could be relied on to help the Jets improve their poor tackling and run defense, much like he did in his first season with the Chargers. That may be enough to earn him a seal of approval from Aaron Rodgers, who could then focus on meshing with the new offensive coordinator to find ways to snap what is shaping up to be a 14-year Jets playoff drought.