Jesse Minter and a new Ravens era: 'He pumps belief into players'

AT THE END of one of the Baltimore Ravens' offseason workouts, first-year coach Jesse Minter rolled out two 16-pound medicine balls onto the practice field to get his point across. In an impromptu battle between the offense and defense, rookie guard Olaivavega Ioane used all his strength to throw the medicine ball farther than outside linebacker Zion Young. All of the defensive players were forced to do pushups. The offensive players' celebration was capped by rookie wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane doing a cartwheel into a backflip. Throughout spring practices and training camp, the 43-year-old Minter has sprung on his players what he calls "At our best, when our best is needed" periods. The contests, which are kept secret until announced to the players at the end of practice, have included a relay featuring rookies carrying weights in both hands, a competition of one-handed catches and a race in which players push blocking sleds. "You never know what play is going to be the biggest play of the game," Minter told his players. "Every situation, you've got to be ready. When your number is called, you step up and make the play." Minter's mantra -- "Be The Best" -- is displayed in massive silver lettering next to the doors that lead to the Ravens' practice field. It's a variation of a saying by basketball coaching legend John Wooden, and it has become the foundation for this new era in Baltimore. Minter was hired to replace John Harbaugh, who was fired after 18 seasons, because the Ravens have struggled over the past decade to be their best when their best was needed. In eight seasons with quarterback Lamar Jackson, Baltimore dominated in the regular season but repeatedly underachieved in the playoffs because of critical mistakes and turnovers. The Ravens believe Minter can elevate Baltimore to a championship level because of his competitive drive, his ability to connect with players and his cool demeanor. Unlike Harbaugh's intense, alpha-type leadership, Minter's coaching style has been described by Ravens players as calm and collected. His father, Rick, and his best friend, Ravens safeties coach P.J. Volker, can't remember a time when Minter has lost his temper. Throughout the spring workouts and training camp, no one has heard Minter raise his voice to the players. When Minter is unhappy with how practice is going, he huddles up the team so everyone can hear his message. Minter believes NFL teams win when there is a partnership between players and coaches. "He's very [focused on] connecting the team right now," wide receiver Rashod Bateman said. "I think that's something that we needed." One of Minter's biggest changes was how Baltimore conducted training camp. Instead of sticking with Harbaugh's scorching afternoon practices, Minter moved the start of practices to the morning to avoid the heat and players wearing down. Minter has also regularly cut practices short, something that rarely occurred under Harbaugh. During a practice in the middle of training camp, Minter ended practice 30 minutes early because the team had reached its goal of 100 snaps that day. This is a major shift in philosophy from Harbaugh, who wanted his players to take pride in being one of the NFL's hardest-working teams and would run as many reps as possible during the allotted practice time. The Ravens' players say the positive vibes stem from Minter's encouraging words. When there is a mistake, he is known to put his arm around the player to address the correction and then urge him to move on to the next snap. In discussing the changes under Minter, some in the organization have noticed less anxiety around the team. "It's kind of a pressure cooker that we live in on a daily basis, and he tries to take a lot of that out of it by maximizing our opportunities when we're out there -- understanding that we have to work hard, but at the same time, he takes care of us and puts us in positions to be successful and does not put everything on our plate every single day," Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. "It's little things each time, and I can see us slowly crescendoing throughout the season." THOSE CLOSE TO Minter believe others mistake his mild-mannered temperament for not being competitive. Their suggestion: Ask Minter about the toughest moment of his football career. As the defensive coordinator for Georgia State in 2014, he watched his defense allow 69 points to rival Georgia Southern. Georgia State gave up 613 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in a game that still bothers Minter. "I've always felt like you can come up with answers and solutions," Minter said. "And it was just what we were trying to get accomplished wasn't translating to the players. And that was a major 'Come to Jesus' moment, I would say." Volker, who has known Minter since they were college teammates at Mount St. Joseph University, knew Minter couldn't wait for another shot at Georgia Southern. "We went into the lab in the offseason," Volker said. "And I'll never forget, he circled the date on the calendar. It was Dec. 5, and we were going to have the guys ready to play. And we were." Minter spent that offseason devising a defense that would shut down Georgia Southern's triple-option offense. He also recruited players to fit that scheme. That next season, Minter enjoyed one of his most satisfying wins as Georgia State defeated Georgia Southern, 34-7. Minter's defense held Georgia Southern to a season-low 203 yards of total offense. Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz acknowledged after the game he was "outcoached." "That's a day I'll never forget," Minter said. IN WHAT WOULD later become a full-circle moment, Minter's first NFL coaching job came compliments of Harbaugh. In 2017, the Ravens had an opening for a defensive assistant. Rick Minter, Jesse's father, called Harbaugh, who had been Rick's special teams coordinator at the University of Cincinnati 20 years earlier. Rick Minter told Harbaugh: "He's smart, he's good looking. He can communicate. He sees the big picture." As Rick Minter put it, "I sold him on him being like John." But Jesse Minter quickly stood out to players by how much he listened. He often sat next to safety Eric Weddle in meetings and picked his brain about schematics and other ideas. "Early on, you knew he was a bright coach," Weddle said. "He thought outside the box. I just drew a great appreciation of him, his personality, his demeanor." In 2018, Minter was part of the staff, which included defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and linebackers coach Mike Macdonald, to overhaul Baltimore's scheme. It was during this time that Minter gives Martindale credit for valuing his input and empowering him to build more confidence in himself. "I just think he was very thorough and thinking things through strategically as well as breaking down opponents," Martindale said. Eight years later, after being defensive coordinator at Michigan and with the Los Angeles Chargers, Minter is back with the Ravens as the fourth head coach in their history. He takes over in Baltimore just months after Macdonald became the first defensive playcalling head coach to win a Super Bowl. Weddle believes Minter and Macdonald are "cut from the same cloth." "They're just very, very similar in a lot of ways," Weddle said. "And I expect to have the same impact in Baltimore as Mike has had in Seattle." IN MINTER'S INITIAL videoconference interview for the Ravens' head coaching job, he laid out his vision for the team's franchise QB to team officials. "Creating a partnership with Lamar as myself as a head coach is the very first priority," Minter told them. "Creating an environment where he feels like the system is helping him become the best player he can be. That he's learning a system of offense and not a collaboration of plays." Minter will be judged on whether he can help Jackson, one of the top players in the NFL, advance to his first Super Bowl. Since Jackson became the Ravens' starting quarterback in the middle of 2018, he has produced the second-best regular-season record among quarterbacks (76-31), ranking behind only Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes. But Jackson has managed only three victories in the postseason, where he has totaled 13 touchdowns and 11 turnovers. Minter wasted no time building a rapport with Jackson. Within a week of hiring Declan Doyle as Baltimore's offensive coordinator in late January, they flew to visit Jackson in South Florida. Minter and Doyle told Jackson that working with him was one reason they both wanted to coach in Baltimore. "It definitely meant a lot to me," Jackson later said. After a season when then-offensive coordinator Todd Monken accepted blame for Jackson's regression, the QB has been more engaged than ever. He participated in a majority of the Ravens' voluntary workouts in the spring. Jackson also initiated text conversations with Minter, something team sources said didn't happen often with Harbaugh. Early in training camp, Minter pulled Jackson to the side and talked to him about watching film together. He told Jackson he could give him a defensive coordinator's perspective on playcalling and disguised coverages. "Man, he's a cool dude," Jackson said. "I just told him on the field today, I'm like, 'Every time I come in the building, you're always smiling.'" WHEN THE RAVENS unveiled their new uniforms in April, Minter addressed thousands of fans for the first time and revealed a recent message that he had delivered to players. "We love and honor and respect all those before us," Minter said. "Thirty years, two Super Bowls, eight division titles, 16 playoff appearances ... but it's our time now." Minter has never felt that he has to revamp the Ravens' culture. He wants to put his stamp on the team. His vision is to create an atmosphere in which everyone is striving for the best version of themselves. He acknowledges it's a cliché, but it can work if the players buy into it. "He just brings a positive mentality and an optimistic outlook on every individual in the building," offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley said. "He just pumps belief into the players." Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey is the only player remaining from the time when Minter was a defensive assistant coach. At the first veteran minicamp this spring, he joked with Minter that he can't call him "Jesse" anymore and suggested he refer to him as "ball coach." Minter responded, "Just call me Jesse." "I think Jesse -- it's hard to put into words -- but he has a very welcoming type [of] energy, like, 'Just come up to my office, meet, talk to me [and] I'll help you whatever way I can,'" Humphrey said. "Then, like a flip side of that is he has no problem addressing things directly with the person in front [of him] to where it doesn't get overboard. I think that's a great trait to have." Minter's return to Baltimore has coincided with the Ravens repeatedly flopping in the biggest games. Baltimore's late-season disappointments have been headlined by Zay Flowers' fumble near the goal line in the 2023 AFC Championship Game, Mark Andrews' dropped 2-point conversion attempt in the 2024 AFC divisional round and Tyler Loop's missed 44-yard field goal attempt in the 2025 season finale. It goes back to that environment Minter yearns to create in which players are applying their best effort on every play. "If you asked every single player in the National Football League right now, they have intentions of trying to help their team get to the Super Bowl," Minter said. "So, this is a group that is, I would say, really hungry -- not thinking about the end goal yet. I think they know that that's what we all want to do, but [there's] a willingness to go day by day and focus on the process and build this thing up so that when those moments happen, we'll be at our best."