A look into Ravens head coach Jesse Minter’s first day of work

While the players stretched, first-year Ravens head coach Jesse Minter paced, a notebook tucked under one arm. As the team kicked off its first training camp practice, Minter mostly observed from the sidelines. Every now and then, he would jot down a few notes.

“I’m not going to micromanage every scheme on all three phases in the game,” Minter said.
“You hire people to do a great job. … It’s my job to get us to operate the way that we need to operate, to play the way that we need to play, to prepare the way that we need to prepare.”

As the team broke into position drills, Minter made a point of stopping by every unit, though he spent the most time with the defensive backs.

The former Ravens defensive backs coach watched the group go through several rounds of one-on-ones before pulling aside veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey — whom he coached in his first stint with the Ravens — for a brief conversation. Those one-on-one interactions appear to be a hallmark of his coaching style.

“He pulled me to the side yesterday,” quarterback Lamar Jackson said. “[He was] talking about coming to meet with him, so I can see defenses the way he’s calling them, and other defenses, not just him.”

Minter was most involved during the 11-on-11 period, when he called the defense. Even then, his role contrasted sharply with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s. Doyle, wearing a headset, stood among his players, offering animated instructions between plays. Minter, meanwhile, called the play and stepped back, watching from the sideline.

That approach is possible in part because of his familiarity with the organization. The Ravens’ defensive system has remained largely intact since Minter’s first stint with the team, when he spent four seasons progressing from defensive assistant to assistant defensive backs coach before becoming defensive backs coach.

After leading one of the NFL’s top-five defenses with the Chargers last season, Minter has incorporated some of the philosophies that fueled that success while remaining open to input from players.

“It’s been really refreshing to see that he’s willing to hear us out,” Hamilton said. “With new coaching stuff, you would think they’d come in and be like, this is how we’re doing it, but no — it hasn’t been like that at all.”

Although much of the defensive foundation remains the same, Minter has introduced changes elsewhere, particularly in how the Ravens approach training camp.

From stretching as a team outside instead of inside to adjusting practice schedules, meeting times and meeting lengths, the changes reflect lessons Minter has gathered while coaching at eight college programs and professional organizations.

“When you have aspirations down the road to end up here, you start to keep notes of things that you like and don’t like,” Minter said. “It’s hopefully very intentional of what we put together for the players to be able to perform at their best.”

As Minter headed off the field and into the building for film study, his message was simply about making sure the team improved one day at a time, one process at a time.

“We got a long way to go,” Minter said. “We’re here to work. We’re here to improve every day as much as we can.”