Chargers may be barreling toward a nightmare coaching scenario in 2025

While it's not perfect, Jim Harbaugh has built a coaching staff that is far better than any recent coaching staff the LA Chargers have had. Just look at the Chargers' instant turnaround under Harbaugh after winning just five games in 2023.

Having an excellent coaching staff can be a double-edged sword, though. While it sets a team up for success, it also sets a team up for coaching staff turnover. It hasn't hit the Chargers yet, but if the Bolts have another successful season then Harbaugh may be forced to say goodbye to some of his staff.

The obvious No. 1 candidate to land a new job is defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Minter followed Harbaugh to the Chargers from Michigan and instantly led the Chargers to the top-scoring defense in the league. Minter had some head coaching buzz after last season, but nothing came to be.

Minter's coaching market hasn't cooled down with time. Jeff Howe of The Athletic recently dropped an intel dump ahead of the 2025 NFL season and outlined how Minter is still one of the favorites to land a head coach job next spring.

"If you’re looking for potential head-coaching candidates, it would be wise to start with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. One rival executive was adamant he’ll be a head coach soon, perhaps as early as 2026," Howe writes. "Teams in search of a defense-minded approach will be doing work on Minter and Packers DC Jeff Hafley."

Chargers' success could prompt Jesse Minter to leave

Another successful season on defense may be enough to get Minter a head coach job in the NFL next season. There may have been some trepidation in hiring Minter this past spring with only one year of NFL coordinating experience. However, with a second solid year, he will only strengthen his case.

This makes any success the Chargers have bittersweet this season. One of the problems in having a great coaching staff is losing coordinators, something the Chargers haven't experienced much over the last two decades.

That being said, it's hard to pinpoint where exactly Minter would make sense. Many of the coaches that could get fired this offseason feature young quarterbacks that need to be developed. That's a harder sell for a defensive-minded coach like Minter.

The favorite would probably be the Cleveland Browns, but it's unclear if Kevin Stefanski will even get the boot if the team has another bad season. Outside of that, it's hard to find a great fit for Minter, although that can change throughout the season.

Thus, Chargers fans need to also keep tabs with the coaching situations throughout the league, Knowing that Minter may leave with another great year, it's important for fans to recognize which teams may be threats.

Either way, Chargers fans should cherish Minter while they have him. His days in Los Angeles could be numbered.