The wait is over, as the Baltimore Ravens hired Jesse Minter as their head coach on Thursday. It's hard to argue with Minter's defensive track record both as the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator and the University of Michigan DC. At 42, he is a wunderkind of sorts.
A young defensive-minded coach with an impeccable track record -- sounds familiar, doesn't it, Ravens fans? This almost sounds like Mike Macdonald, right? But don't take my word for it, take former Ravens' cornerback Jimmy Smith's.
"Jesse's a great coach. Very Mike Macdonaldish," Smith said. "Those are the guys that before games you're like, 'hey, gimme a couple extra nuggets.' Those guys study the games so well, and they prepare very well. ... When he used to do his time during meetings, back then, he did a great job. He's not a person that's scared to speak up."
Minter coached Smith with the Ravens from 2017 to 2020, and Macdonald coached him from 2015 to 2020. As such, Smith is the perfect person to make this comparison and speak to what type of coach the Ravens are getting. Frankly, there couldn't be a more exciting comparison for Minter.
Minter is the perfect coach to restore the Ravens' defense
Ravens fans have been haunted by Macdonald's departure to the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, especially as Seattle is currently the Super Bowl favorites. Now, though, Minter gives Ravens fans a chance to escape the ghost of Macdonald, so to speak.
Of course, there's no guaranteeing that Minter will be as good a coach as Macdonald has been. That's a high bar.
Nevertheless, the similarities between the two young coaches with defensive backgrounds who are known for their creative schemes are clear. Furthermore, Smith's endorsement and comparison between the two coaches is certainly a positive sign.
The Ravens have historically been known for their defense. However, this season was an outright disaster on the defensive side of the ball for Baltimore. Notably, they ranked within the bottom 10 for yards and 30th in sacks. Conversely, the Chargers were fifth in yards and tied for 10th in sacks. Plus, during Minter's first year as the Chargers' DC, they allowed the fewest points in the league.
Despite the Ravens' defensive shortcomings, they have plenty of proven talent, including Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith, and Travis Jones. How Minter develops young players like Malaki Starks, Mike Green, and Nate Wiggins will be intriguing to watch as well.
Sure, the Ravens need to improve their pass rush in the offseason. Regardless, the point is they have talent, and Minter can help them reach their upside, similar to what Macdonald did in Seattle.
Undoubtedly, Minter is the perfect coach to lead the Ravens back to their typically elite standards. And with a smart offensive coordinator hire the Ravens could reemerge at the forefront of Super Bowl contention. Overall, hiring Minter appears to be a brilliant move from Eric DeCosta and Steve Bisciotti, and his similarities to Macdonald are clear.