According to Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider, Jesse Minter, the defensive coordinator from Michigan, will be joining Jim Harbaugh on the Los Angeles Chargers staff.
According to Webb, Minter met with a number of Wolverine defensive players on Saturday morning to inform them of his decision. When Minter returns to the NFL, he will assume the same role as defensive coordinator with the Chargers, having previously worked as a defensive coach for the Baltimore Ravens.
Minter has been Michigan’s defensive coordinator for the last two seasons, during which he helped the team rank among the nation’s top-10 units in terms of points allowed, total defence, and run defence. Leading the FBS in both scoring defence (10.4) and total defence (247.0) in 2023, the Wolverines won a College Football Playoff National Championship.
In the championship game earlier this month, Michigan players executed a near-perfect game plan designed by Minter, shutting down a formidable offensive force in Washington. Minter was a finalist for the Broyles Award, which is given to the top college football assistant coach each year.
He replaced Harbaugh, who was banned at the time, as the Wolverines’ temporary head coach for the team’s season opener versus East Carolina. Michigan prevailed 30-3.
During the current coaching cycle, Minter was mentioned as a potential contender for NFL openings and potentially as a replacement head coach at Michigan. However, Minter will follow Harbaugh to the West Coast.
After the Wolverines finished sixth in the country in total defence and allowed just 292.1 yards per game in Minter’s debut season in Ann Arbour, the player previously inked a contract extension with Michigan in April. He concluded his second season as one of college football’s most highly regarded assistant coaches.
Minter spent one season in 2021 as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Vanderbilt before coming on staff at Michigan in 2022. He worked as a defensive assistant for the Baltimore Ravens for four years, serving as Jim Harbaugh’s older brother’s coach.
Before joining the Cincinnati Bearcats as a graduate assistant in 2007, Minter started his coaching career as a defensive intern with Charlie Weis at Notre Dame in 2006. Minter began his career at Indiana State, where he oversaw the linebackers as a position coach from 2009 to 2010. In 2011, he was promoted to defensive coordinator. Minter eventually departed to take a position at Georgia State as defensive coordinator from 2013 to 2015.
