Jan. 29, 2026, 12:56 p.m. ET

The Los Angeles Chargers will be losing the architect of their defense over the past two seasons as Jesse Minter heads off to the Baltimore Ravens to accept his first head coaching job. But now, they’ll be reuniting with a familiar face from the 2024 edition of that defense to fill the vacancy.

The Chargers have hired Chris O’Leary as their new defensive coordinator, bringing O’Leary back to the franchise for the second time after he served as the safeties coach during the 2024 season. During his first stint with Los Angeles, he helped Minter build a defense that finished the season ranked first in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing just over 17 points per game.

Chris O’Leary Returns To Chargers After Successful First Season As DC

O’Leary is coming off a wildly successful one-year stint as the defensive coordinator with NCAA Division 1 program Western Michigan, where he led a defense that helped the Broncos earn a 10-4 finish and just their fourth-ever Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship. It was his first opportunity at any level in a coordinator role. Before his stints with Western Michigan and the Chargers, O’Leary spent six seasons as a defensive assistant with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

O’Leary was a beloved assistant in the locker room during his initial tenure in Los Angeles and has earned significant praise from current Chargers players and head coach Jim Harbaugh.

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“Chris is a rising star in the coaching ranks,” Harbaugh said when O’Leary was initially hired by Western Michigan. “He’s a connector, which is among the best compliments you can give a coach. The rapport he’s able to create within a staff and his ability to build meaningful relationships with players throughout the locker room, regardless of position, is exceptional.”

“Coach O’Leary is one best young coaches I’ve been around,” said current Chargers safety Derwin James. “He is extremely confident and very smart and detail-oriented. He strives to be the best coach and leader he can be each and every day. He always has a smile on his face, and the positive energy he brings is very contagious.”