Michigan football is no stranger to making headlines, but in the lead-up to the 2023 season, it’s Jess Minter who’s taking center stage. As the Wolverines prepare for their Week 1 matchup against East Carolina, the spotlight is firmly set on their interim head coach. Here’s a closer look at the journey of Jesse Minter and how he reached this pivotal moment in his coaching career.
Before he became known in the coaching realm, Jess Minter was a four-year wide receiver at Mount St. Joseph from 2002 to 2005. The grit and determination he displayed on the field were clear indications of his future in football, albeit from the sidelines.
Starting his coaching journey at Notre Dame as a defensive intern, Minter quickly began making his mark. His stint at Cincinnati as a graduate assistant gave him valuable insights into the world of coaching.
It was at Indiana State where Minter truly started to carve out his niche, starting as a linebackers coach in 2009 and eventually climbing up the ladder to become their defensive coordinator.
After years of incremental promotions, it’s perhaps ironic that defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s first crack at being a head coach comes through such odd circumstances.@paul_nasr on @UMichFootball’s resolve to make him a “guardian of victory”: https://t.co/K5qgK7muAn
— Michigan Daily Sports (@theblockm) August 29, 2023
When Minter joined Georgia State in 2012, the football landscape took note. Under his watch, the Panthers’ defense underwent a transformation. By his final season with the team, they ranked eighth in the FBS for pass defense. Minter’s contribution was undeniable, and his efforts didn’t go unnoticed as he received a nomination for the prestigious Broyles Award.
The lure of the NFL beckoned in 2017 when he became a part of John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens as a defensive assistant. Working closely with the defensive backs, Minter’s impact was felt strongly when he was promoted to the role of defensive backs coach in 2020.
2021 saw Minter heading to Vanderbilt as their defensive coordinator and safeties coach. But after Michigan’s former defensive coordinator Mike McDonald left Ann Arbor for the Ravens, Jim Harbaugh came knocking. Announced as the Matthew and Nicole Lester Family Football Defensive Coordinator on February 9, 2022, he became an integral part of the Wolverines’ coaching staff.
Now, with Jim Harbaugh serving a self-imposed suspension due to alleged NCAA violations, it’s Minter’s time to shine as Michigan’s interim head coach. With his father Rick – a former head coach at Cincinnati and a current defensive analyst at Michigan – by his side, and the support of his wife Rachelle and children Camilla and Montgomery, Minter is ready for this new challenge.
