Before they even began the process of interviewing more than a dozen candidates for their head coaching vacancy, the Baltimore Ravens knew plenty about Jesse Minter. Now he has the job.

The Ravens hired the 42-year-old Minter on Thursday, just more than two weeks after they fired John Harbaugh after 18 seasons in the same role.

Minter is a familiar face, having previously worked for Harbaugh as well as his younger brother Jim. Minter’s first four seasons (2017-20) as an NFL assistant were with the Ravens, and he spent the past two seasons on Jim’s staff as defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.

“Jesse was impressive throughout our incredibly thorough interview process,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a team release. “He clearly understands the values, high expectations and history of the Ravens, and he has a great vision for the future.”

Minter was a big name on the coaching market, interviewing virtually with several teams — including the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are looking for a coach after Mike Tomlin stepped down last week after 19 seasons — before landing in Baltimore. His task with the Ravens includes helping quarterback Lamar Jackson get back on track after an injury-plagued 2025 season for the two-time NFL MVP, which ended with Baltimore missing the playoffs on a last-second loss at AFC North Division rival Pittsburgh.

“This is an organization whose values, culture and tradition of excellence reflect everything I believe about the game of football and how it should be played,” Minter said in the release.

Minter was scheduled to have a second interview with the Cleveland Browns for their head coaching vacancy Thursday before informing them he was dropping out of consideration.

Baltimore was viewed as a top job opening because of Jackson’s presence and the organization’s stability over the years. The Ravens certainly talked to plenty of candidates, including Minter, Joe Brady, Anthony Campanile, Brian Flores, Vance Joseph, Kliff Kingsbury, Klint Kubiak, Mike McDaniel, Matt Nagy, Robert Saleh, Jim Schwartz, Nathan Scheelhaase, Chris Shula, Kevin Stefanski, Anthony Weaver and Davis Webb.

The Atlanta Falcons hired Stefanski last Saturday, while the Tennessee Titans and Saleh agreed to a deal Monday.

The Ravens decided to move on from Harbaugh after his nearly two decades at the helm, but Baltimore did a lot right during those years, including winning Super Bowl XLVII to cap the NFL’s 2012 season. Mike Macdonald, a former defensive coordinator under Harbaugh, has been a big success in two seasons as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, who are playing for the NFC title this weekend.

Minter and Macdonald were on the same staff in Baltimore. Minter advanced to the role of defensive backs coach before taking the defensive coordinator job at Vanderbilt University. He spent one season with the Commodores before taking over as Michigan’s defensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh and spending two years there. The 2023 Wolverines won the College Football Playoff national championship, then Minter went to the Chargers when they hired Jim as their head coach.

Minter now becomes the fourth head coach in the Ravens’ 31-year history.

“Jesse is a strong leader who possesses a brilliant football mind and a spirit that will resonate with our players and fan base alike,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in the release. “Jesse comes from a football family, with success at every level of the sport, and we are confident that he is the right coach to lead the Ravens forward.”

The Ravens were the fifth team to fill a head coaching vacancy this offseason, following the New York Giants (who hired John Harbaugh), Falcons, Miami Dolphins (who hired Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley) and Titans.

The Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Browns, Las Vegas Raiders and Steelers still have openings.

The Chargers were fifth in the NFL in total defense this season, allowing an average of 285.2 yards per game. They allowed a league-low 17.7 points per game in 2024. Jim Harbaugh said during his season-ending news conference last week, after an AFC wild-card playoff loss to the New England Patriots, that it was only a matter of time before Minter would get his chance to be a head coach.

“The product that Jesse has established as the head coach of the defense, that’s so good that we know it’s a matter of when. We’ve been preparing for that,” Harbaugh said.

The Ravens endured a tumultuous 2025 season marked by a 1-5 start and major injuries, from Jackson to defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike. Baltimore still went into the final week with a chance to win the AFC North.

Rookie kicker Tyler Loop’s potential game-winning field goal on the final play sailed wide right, handing the division crown to the Steelers. There were no wild-card berths left at that point, so Baltimore’s season was over.

John Harbaugh, the NFL’s second-longest tenured head coach, was out of a job days later, though he didn’t stay out of work long, with the Giants announcing his hire last Saturday.

Although Jackson remains Baltimore’s centerpiece, for the past couple of seasons the defense has lacked the ferocity the organization takes pride in. Minter will attempt to improve that, and it remains to be seen who he will bring in to coach Jackson and the offense.

Rick Minter, Jeese’s father, has more than 45 years of coaching experience in the college and pro ranks, including 10 seasons as the head coach at the University of Cincinnati from 1994 to 2003.

During his time at Cincinnati, Minter had future NFL coaches John Harbaugh, Tomlin and Rex Ryan on his staff, as well as Jimbo Fisher. Harbaugh and Tomlin each won a Super Bowl, and Fisher won a national title at Florida State.