Former Kentucky defensive coordinator Rick Minter is now analyst at Michigan

One of the biggest hires Joker Phillips made during his short tenure as head coach at Kentucky was tabbing Indiana State linebackers coach Rick Minter as his defensive coordinator. The defensive coach has been everywhere.

The former head coach at Cincinnati had SEC experience from a year spent at South Carolina in 2004 and was hoping to help turn things in the right direction for Phillips. After a top-50 defensive finish in SP+ in 2011, things began to fall apart in 2012, and athletic director Mitch Barnhart decided to make a change.

Since then, Rick Minter has coached in the NFL, Sun Belt, Conference USA, Division II, and Alliance of American Football. The coaching vagabond has been all over the place, and now he is joining his son on Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Michigan.

Jesse Minter was hired by Harbaugh after one year at Vanderbilt to be the new defensive coordinator in Ann Arbor. The younger Minter is excited to get a chance to work with his father.

“I’m thrilled to have him here and glad [Michigan head] Coach [Jim] Harbaugh was able to offer him an opportunity,” Jesse Minter said. “I appreciate his presence and his wisdom, just not only for me, but for the rest of the defensive staff as well.”

The Wolverines are fresh off a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance. The next goal appears to be a national championship for Harbaugh. However, this program had to replace both coordinators and still has to deal with the blue-chip juggernaut Ryan Day has built at Ohio State.

A former Kentucky assistant will attempt to help the Wolverines in an off-field coaching role reach the next level while also helping his son in the biggest job of his young coaching career.