The Los Angeles Chargers made the biggest splash of the NFL offseason to this point. After firing head coach Brandon Staley during the 2023 regular season, they found their replacement in Michigan head coach, Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh is returning to the NFL after nine seasons at his alma mater, which culminated in leading them to their first National Championship in 26 years. Harbaugh spent four seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers before heading back to college and found a ton of success in the Bay Area, going 44-19 in the regular season.
The Chargers are hoping he can bring some of that along with him, and we now know who will be helping him achieve that on his staff. Joining him from the Wolverines is Jesse Minter, who was with the program for two years.
Minter was Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator at Michigan and he will be taking the same role in Los Angeles. Minter has previous experience in the NFL as he worked under John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens for three seasons before taking over as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator.
He went from Vanderbilt to Michigan with Harbaugh and is now following him to the NFL. Minter was a finalist for the top assistant coach award, the Broyles Award, in 2022. He isn’t the only former Ravens’ coach joining the Chargers staff.
According to sources, the team is also working on adding Greg Roman as offensive coordinator of the team. Roman was offensive coordinator for the Ravens from 2019-2022, building a strong running game centered around the athleticism and explosiveness of Lamar Jackson.
The Chargers have struggled mightily in recent years to get their ground game going and there aren’t many better than Roman to help turn things around. Improving on the ground is something Harbaugh and general manager Joe Horitz are emphasizing early in their tenure together.
“You build a great run game and a great offensive line, you protect your quarterback,” Hortiz said Tuesday. “I’ve seen it done year in and year out where I came from. You help him by supporting him with players that help the entire offense.”
Also following Harbaugh and Minter from Michigan is Mike Elston. He was the Wolverines’ defensive line coach for the last two seasons and will continue in the same role with the Chargers. Strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert is also making the jump from Michigan to Los Angeles.
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