Jesse Minter, Ravens Agree to Reported 5-Year HC Contract to Replace John Harbaugh

The Baltimore Ravens have a new head coach for the first time since the 2007 season.

Baltimore hired Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to fill the vacancy left by their decision to fire John Harbaugh after missing the playoffs during the 2025 campaign.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the hiring. He also reported the Chargers have requested to interview Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr for their vacant job after Minter's move to Baltimore.

Veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy was among the first players to react to the move:

As soon as the Ravens moved on from Harbaugh, they became arguably the most attractive job opening in the NFL. After all, any team with the Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry combination leading the way on offense has the firepower to be a contender, and the AFC North team also has a history of success and strong foundation in place.

Harbaugh went to the playoffs in 12 of his 18 seasons, and Minter will surely be expected to sustain that level of consistency.

That will be easier said than done, though, as Harbaugh was widely considered one of the best coaches in the NFL thanks in large part to that consistency. He also led the Ravens to the Super Bowl title during the 2012 season and made the playoffs twice as many times as he missed it during his tenure.

But it seemed like it was time for a change in Baltimore as well.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported "Harbaugh lost the locker room. At the end, players just simply had doubts about whether or not they wanted to play for him as their head coach. The opinion of players was valued here, it was listened to, it went to all levels. It is not just Lamar Jackson."

What's more, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported team "owner Steve Bisciotti had grown frustrated with John Harbaugh's lack of playoff success in recent years."

The Ravens are just 3-5 in Jackson's eight postseason starts and have not been to the Super Bowl since they lifted the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2012 campaign.

It will be up to Minter to change that.

Keeping Jackson healthy will be key, as he was limited to 13 games during the 2025 season. When he is on the field, he is still on the short list of the best quarterbacks in the league as a two-time MVP who can make plays with his arm and legs.

The defense will also need to be much better after finishing this past season a mere 24th in the league in yards allowed.

Given that unit's struggles in 2025, it comes as no surprise the Ravens hired a coach with a defensive background.

Minter helped lead the Los Angeles Chargers to the playoffs as the defensive coordinator in each of the past two seasons and was previously on the defensive staff for the Ravens.

He also helped lead Michigan to a national championship as its defensive coordinator in 2023.

While he doesn't have any head coaching experience, Minter is widely considered an excellent defensive mind.

And now he will look to use that defensive prowess to help the Ravens return to the playoffs in his first chance as an NFL head coach.