The Los Angeles Chargers have officially lost Jesse Minter, who took a head coaching job with the Baltimore Ravens as confirmed on Thursday afternoon.
For Minter, the promotion is well-deserved. He's found immense success in his two seasons with the Chargers, and his familiarity with the Ravens organization makes him the right man for the job in the wake of John Harbaugh's firing.
However, Los Angeles is now on the hunt for two new coordinators. They are already set to hire Mike McDaniel for the offensive side of the ball, but the defensive side presents an urgent question that must be answered.
The Chargers have already begun interviews for the position, and they will almost certainly take a look at internal candidates at some point.
If Minter takes one of his staff members with him to Baltimore, Los Angeles could be in a heap of trouble.
Jesse Minter can still poach a vital member of the Chargers' staff
Losing Minter is obviously a big blow from an organizational standpoint. He has consistently elevated the defense with his zone-heavy scheme, and Los Angeles is likely to seek schematic continuity with their next hire.
This leaves Steve Clinkscale, the Chargers' current defensive backs coach, as the most obvious replacement for Minter. He spent four years working under Minter, two at Michigan and two at the NFL level, and he has been instrumental in implementing Minter's scheme in the secondary.
While he is not the clear-cut favorite for the position, it would be hard to argue that he should not be in the running.
Minter, however, will still need to set his coaching staff in Baltimore. The Ravens players have voiced their desire to have Kliff Kingsbury at offensive coordinator. But with Minter calling plays on the defensive side of the ball, he will likely have full reign over whoever they hire as defensive coordinator.
Zach Orr, the current Baltimore defensive coordinator, is seeking out new positions. The Chargers requested to interview him this morning.
Could Minter choose Clinkscale, who he has extensive familiarity with, for a promotion to defensive coordinator of the Ravens?
While Clinkscale would not be calling plays in Baltimore, continuing his time under Minter has to seem like an attractive option.
It still remains to be seen what route Minter will take and what the organization wants for his staff, but one thing is clear. Minter can make his departure even more painful by taking Clinkscale with him.