Ravens GM Explains Thought Process Behind Jesse Minter Hire

A little over a week after Baltimore's brass made their intentions and priorities clear, they announced that one name had won out over the rest of the competition. Former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is set to return to his Ravens roots in taking over for Harbaugh, and DeCosta's already gone on record in discussing his hiring process.

"I think my approach was basically like the draft, that we were gonna find the best available coach," he said, per a video from the team's official X account. "The guy who checked off the most boxes, the guy that had a great ability to lead this team, and a guy who commands respect on one side of the ball."

"It's also a gut thing, you talk to these guys and start to imagine what would this guy be like in a crisis situation. What will this guy be like when we're in a game. What will this guy be like at halftime, or in the offseason building the team, or talking to players, trying the troops, doing all of these different things. Or hiring a coaching staff, which is something I think Jesse's gonna really excel at. I think you look at all these different things, and you make a decision."

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That choice to focus on the best all-around coaching prospect overrode the natural inclination to hire based on a coach's prior specialty.

Minter's focus has largely remained on the defensive side of the ball, where he flourished as a coordinator for the Michigan Wolverines and the Chargers over the past four years, but his capabilities guiding a revitalized defense certainly couldn't have hurt his stock. A return to focus on forced pressure, run-stopping and pass-breakups can lay the foundation for everything else to sprout from, as any Baltimore fan can remember from the 2023 Ravens.

"We're gonna be fast, were gonna be fast to the ball on defense, aggressive on ofense," DeCosta envisioned. "I think we're gonna play good, complementary football, we're gonna be explosive, players are gonna play at a high level, I think we're gonna win close games. I think we're gonna be tough to play, and I think that teams in the AFC and NFC are gonna fear us, and I think we're gonna be a team to be reckoned with."

Ravens fans will have to wait some time to see how Minter's and DeCosta's plans manifest on NFL turf, but they could hear from the new head coach in a matter of days. Minter's opening presser is reportedly tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 29, where Minter will field his first match of questions about his intentions in Baltimore.