Analysis: The Ravens pick Jesse Minter as coach. Can he get the team back on track?

The Ravens have found John Harbaugh’s successor.

Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will become the fourth head coach in franchise history, the team announced Thursday.

Minter is a familiar face in Owings Mills, where he served as a defensive assistant under Harbaugh from 2017-20.

Here are reactions from Baltimore Banner staff members.

Defense first, Lamar second?

Jesse Minter deserved to be a head coach. That much became clear from the praise Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh showered on him, from the turnaround of the team’s defense he oversaw and from the interest he got around the league this winter. Zach Orr’s unit punched well below its weight this year. The Ravens didn’t meet their championship standard.

But, with an opening this attractive, this coveted, I couldn’t help but wonder: If the Ravens’ championship window is tied to Lamar Jackson’s transcendent skill set, why not take a big swing on an offensive guru who can restore him to superstar levels? Why not try to find the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan?

Even if Minter revitalizes the Ravens’ defense and nails his offensive coordinator hire, he could be looking for another play-caller next offseason. Jackson is good enough to lift the Ravens to the Super Bowl, but he’s also good enough to get the Ravens’ offensive staff jobs elsewhere. Just look at Todd Monken after a disappointing 2025.

Steve Bisciotti nailed his first head coaching hire, and I don’t doubt his ability to uncover the Ravens’ next great coach. But even with the breakthrough success of Mike Macdonald, a defense-first head coach, it’s hard not to think about No. 8.

– Jonas Shaffer, Ravens reporter

A hire that makes sense

If the Ravens couldn’t get Mike Macdonald (this isn’t college football, folks, no poaching head coaches), then this is like getting a Mike Macdonald look-alike. Minter and Macdonald have similar backgrounds. They got their first NFL jobs with the Ravens and coached defensive backs before becoming the defensive coordinator at Michigan. From there, Macdonald went to be John Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator in the NFL and Minter went to be Jim Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator in the NFL. Macdonald, to many Ravens fans’ chagrin, has had great success as a head coach. The Ravens hope Minter can do the same. He has the pedigree and the connections, and he’s going to a place that values defense above everything.

It’s definitely a hire that should satisfy fans, especially the Macdonald fan club. It makes so much sense that you have to hope it doesn’t make too much sense. Because it doesn’t feel like the same out-of-the-box risk that Bisciotti took on Harbaugh. Much of Minter’s success will depend on whom he brings in as an offensive coordinator — because this ship rises and falls with Lamar Jackson. The next few weeks will be critical as he builds his staff.

– Giana Han, Ravens reporter

Having it both ways

Steve Bisciotti obviously felt the need to shake up the Ravens’ culture — but not too much. Bringing in Minter feels like a move that serves two objectives. After getting a significant portion of his coaching chops sharpened in Baltimore, he has a powerful connection to the culture of the organization. But, as a younger coach (two years younger than John Harbaugh when he was hired in 2008), Minter has a taste for modern NFL defense and has succeeded at a high level at Michigan and with the Chargers.

Because he clearly is from the Harbaugh coaching tree, he’ll probably bring in a lot of similar culture notes from his time under John and Jim. Schematically, it should help the Ravens defense to have a strong X’s-and-O’s coach in the building, but it’s worth wondering if Minter will have a different enough message from his predecessor to make his own mark.

– Kyle Goon, sports columnist

Now the next hire looms large

We’re all saying it, because it’s true: This makes a lot of sense. The Ravens adored so much about John Harbaugh and how he ran the team. They just felt his stewardship had gotten stale. So why not bring in an acolyte? One who has traversed the halls of the Castle, knows the philosophies and politics of the people in power and is likely to be comfortable with the same vibe that served the Ravens well for so long.

Besides, there’s a real (if not all that meaningful) desire to have the Ravens be known as a team that wins through defense. This hire is a nod toward franchise history and identity.

But let’s all be clear: Minter’s job is to build a good enough defense to take advantage of the next few years of Lamar Jackson. And that means he needs to find an offensive coordinator who will jibe with Jackson and keep him in positions where he can be effective. The QB may be aloof, mysterious and mercurial, but he’s the key to this all. Go get somebody who makes him feel comfortable.

– Chris Korman, editor

Not quite a course correction

I’m fascinated by the idea of the Ravens’ brain trust replacing John Harbaugh with a Harbaugh acolyte who was running a version of the Harbaugh defense for younger brother Jim in L.A. In his press conference explaining why he fired his friend, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti hinted that the organization needed significant changes. Hiring a former Ravens assistant who is familiar with the team’s credos and culture does not feel like a major overhaul.

That said, Minter’s résumé shows he is deserving of the job title. And, if he revitalizes Baltimore’s defense — a unit that has been plagued by sluggish starts and inconsistent play under coordinator Zach Orr — and finds the right offensive coordinator, the Ravens could again be a Super Bowl contender. Some fans view Seahawks head coach and former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as the one who got away. Minter could be the next-best thing.

– Brandon Weigel, editor