Jesse Minter talks NFL interest, why he’s ‘super excited’ to be at Michigan
The Philadelphia Eagles were only days removed from a Super Bowl loss to Kansas City before starting the search for a new defensive coordinator. Michigan D.C. Jesse Minter, meanwhile, was coming off his first season at U-M having had great success.
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The Wolverines didn’t play their best game in a 51-45 Fiesta Bowl loss to TCU, but that was the anomaly. Minter had them playing at a high level all season, especially in a 45-23 win at Ohio State in which the Buckeyes managed only 3 points in the second half.
A month and change later, he got a call that could have changed his life.
“You sit at home watching the Super Bowl, then three days later the team that was in the Super Bowl calls you,” Minter recalled of the Eagles’ interest. “It was humbling just to get a call. It was a great experience to go through.
“Any time you’re called or wanted from a different [level], it’s an honor. It was a good experience, something I certainly wanted to look into.”
As just about anyone would.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh encouraged it. He explained in February that he wasn’t going to be the one holding any of his coaches or players back from their dreams.
“It’s something we treat as a really positive thing, that NFL franchises, NFL teams have a lot of interest in all of our personnel, coaches, players, staff,” he said. “If somebody in our organization feels like that’s going to benefit them professionally and personally, then we say have at it — we don’t hold anybody back …
“I think I’ve lost count how many coaches have gone to the NFL from here … Calls come in, calls are taken, those conversations are had. There are a few coaches on our staff that those calls came in and they decided to stay here.”
Minter neither confirmed nor denied he’d received an offer, but he “couldn’t be happier being back here at Michigan.”
“Coach Harbaugh, the players, they all know how I feel about this place,” he said. “I’m super excited to be back.”
And for good reason. He’s got a deep and talented Michigan defense to work with this year, and they’re in the second year of the system.
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The learning curve has flattened considerably, the second-year Michigan assistant continued.
“It’s just a whole ‘nother level of familiarity with the guys, how we operate here, how coach runs spring,” Minter said. “Just tremendous cohesiveness. Kind of everybody understands each other’s expectations; they understand my expectations, I understand coach Harbaugh’s and the players’ expectations. Just a really good level of that.
“Particularly, I think we have more experience coming back than at this time last year, where we were replacing some big spots. We have some key losses, certainly, but feel good about where the guys are at. Just knowledge, understanding, attacking the first day, sort of picking up where we left off.”
And a whole host of Michigan defenders in that first and second year that haven’t played a lot making moves.
They’re all on the same page, he said, and understand the expectations perfectly. That’s led to a seamless transition from last year to spring and a lot of hungry Michigan talent.
“Not even really schematically, but we talk about four pillars being really important — effort, block destruction, ball destruction, and communication,” Minter said. “I think we’ve made strides in those areas, but I honestly think there is leaps and bounds more for us in all four of those areas. I look forward to these guys continuing to chase those.
“We made it a huge emphasis for us in the spring. I just can’t wait to see that continue to impress in the third year of the system.”
