Report: Jim Harbaugh hiring Jesse Minter as Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator

New Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh isn’t coming to LA alone from Ann Arbor, reportedly hiring Jesse Minter as his defensive coordinator for the Chargers, according to The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb. Minter spent the past two seasons as Michigan‘s defensive play-caller.

Harbaugh hired Minter ahead of the 2022 college football season, and in the last two years has helped lead Michigan’s defense to new heights, regarded as one of the best units across the entire country at the college level.

Under Minter, Michigan’s defense ranked No. 5 in the nation in opponent scoring, holding teams to just 13.4 points per game in 2022. But in 2023 he took the Wolverines’ defense to historic heights, holding opponents to 9.5 points per game to lead the nation and help Michigan secure their first national championship since 1997.

Minter played football at Division III Mount St. Joseph University where he was a wide receiver, starting off his coaching career immediately after his playing career as a defensive intern at Notre Dame. After one year with the Fighting Irish, he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Cincinnati before getting his first job as a position coach, becoming the linebackers coach at FCS Indiana State.

He was promoted to defensive coordinator at Indiana State, spending two seasons in the role before becoming Georgia State’s defensive coordinator in 2013. And following four seasons in Atlanta, Minter joined Harbaugh’s brother John Harbaugh as a part of the Baltimore Ravens staff.

Minter spent four seasons on John Harbaugh’s staff, working his way up from defensive assistant to defensive backs coach in his final season with the Ravens before returning to the college game in 2021 to become Vanderbilt‘s defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Where he spent just one season before joining the other Harbaugh brother and the Wolverines.

“They’re so similar. They’re both just elite leaders,” Minter said regarding the Harbaugh brothers. “They can bring people together. They can get guys to play as a team but still have their personality and still let their personality shine. So both have just great cultures in their locker rooms, great team, great staff culture, and just both are two of the best leaders in all of sports.”

The Chargers’ defense underachieved last season, ranking 28th in yards allowed per game and 24th in points allowed per game in the NFL. But with talented players like Derwin James, Nick Bosa, and Khalil Mack on the roster, perhaps Minter can bring LA to the same defensive heights that the Wolverines were able to reach under his leadership.