Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has done a tremendous job of building a quality staff around him during his return to the professional ranks, but no hire has had more of an impact on winning than bringing his former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter along with him.
Minter has been so excellent, in fact, that it seems like one step below a foregone conclusion that he will be someone else's head coach in the immediate future. Based on the results, it's hard to argue that he shouldn't at least be in the conversation.
After coordinating the league's top scoring defense last year, Minter has the Chargers as a Top 10 unit once again despite some very clear holes in the cornerback room and a pass rush stable that could generally be considered as below average.
When asked "which coordinator has boosted his head coach candidate stock the most this season" in a rumor dump, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler went with Minter despite the fact that his unit has taken some steps backward in recent weeks. His reputation is seemingly solid gold among executives in the league.
Chargers DC Jesse Minter lauded once more as potential head coach candidate
While the Chargers might be able to retain Minter due to the league's preference on hiring young offensive-minded coaches, the success of defensive coaches like Washington's Dan Quinn and Seattle's Mike Macdonald could keep interest in Minter at a high level around the league.
Everywhere Minter has gone, his defense has not only improved, but established themselves as a premier unit. His time under Harbaugh with Michigan helped him create one of the greatest units in college football history. After ranking first in scoring defense last year, LA ranks sixth in that category in 2025.
One concern that teams may have when looking at Minter is what his offensive coaching staff would look like. The maligned Greg Roman's coaching tree (if such a thing even exists) is more of a sappling, and LA's often criticized passing game scheme doesn't seem like something Minter can entice other organizations with if Justin Herbert isn't coming along.
Even as the pool of defensive coaches (especially those without prior experience) seem to get smaller with each passing year, Minter has been so exceptional in his time with the Chargers that it would seemingly be a huge shock if this team rolls into 2026 with him in charge of the defense.