The Baltimore Ravens moved on from their longtime head coach John Harbaugh this offseason and hired one of the top young up-and-coming coaches in Jesse Minter. Thus far, Minter made a universally acclaimed hire in Declan Doyle to be his new offensive coordinator. Coming from the Chicago Bears, he was praised for his work in developing quarterback Caleb Williams. Minter also hired one of the top offensive line coaches in the league in Dwayne Ledford.
One role that was still unfilled was defensive coordinator, and Minter decided to bring back a familiar face that received plenty of attention in this coaching cycle.
On Monday, multiple reports indicated that the Ravens were hiring Anthony Weaver as their new defensive coordinator. This will be a return for Weaver, as he previously served as a defensive line coach, run game coordinator, and assistant head coach from 2021 until 2023.
Ravens hire former player and assistant coach Anthony Weaver as defensive coordinator
This should be considered a slam dunk hire for Ravens fans, as he received plenty of head coaching consideration this offseason. The Ravens interviewed him for their head coaching vacancy, as did the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, and Atlanta Falcons. The Ravens listed Weaver as a finalist, but ultimately gave the job to Minter. Another team that seriously considered hiring Weaver as a head coach were the Arizona Cardinals, as he was one of three finalists. Ultimately, the Cardinals hired Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as their new head coach on Sunday. So, less than 24 hours later, Weaver chose to accept the Ravens' offer to be their defensive coordinator.
Weaver began his coaching career back in 2012 and bounced around to different teams before really sticking with the Ravens from 2021 until 2023. Because of his work with the Ravens, he received a premium promotion as defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins.
In 2024, the Dolphins defense allowed an average of 314.3 yards (fourth-best in NFL) and 21.4 points per game (10th-best). This past season, the Dolphins' defense dropped off a bit, as the team as a whole struggled. In 2025, the Dolphins allowed an average of 348.8 yards (22nd in NFL) and 24.9 points per game (24th).
Weaver has plenty of talent to work with on the defensive side of the ball. One thing to remember, though, is that Minter said during his introductory press conference that he will be calling the plays on defense. So, Weaver won't be calling the plays.
Even so, this should be considered a slam dunk hire for the Ravens, who are putting together a strong coaching staff this offseason.