When Jesse Minter was hired to be the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, there were no questions about his defensive acumen, game strategy, and preparation. The main questions surrounded the other stuff. Connecting with the players, being a leader, a motivator, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to recruit other high quality coaches to Baltimore. Through the first week of his tenure in Baltimore, Minter has done just that, and has quickly assembled what on paper looks like one of the better
coaching staffs in the NFL.
Wasting no time, Minter brought in offensive line coach Dwayne Lenford from Atlanta. Lenford is one of the more well respected run-game coordinators and o-line coaches in the NFL, helping propel the Falcons to consecutive top 10 rushing outputs in 2024 and 2025.
Next, Minter went out and swayed Mike Mickens from Notre Dame to be the Ravens’ defensive backs coach. Mickens is particularly respected across college football and has helped churn out some elite defensive backs in his time at Notre Dame. When looking at the reaction of Irish fans on social media, it was quite shocking to see the response. Rarely does a college position coach leaving spur such an outpouring of disappointment amongst the fans.
Just over a week after Minter was hired, he made a splash by hiring Declan Doyle as his offensive coordinator. That job was the biggest remaining question on the Ravens coaching staff and it seems as if Minter got a star. Doyle, who is only 29 years old (the same age as Lamar Jackson), has rapidly ascended through the NFL’s coaching ranks, studying under the likes of Ben Johnson and Sean Payton, two of the best offensive minds in the sport. Doyle has immense upside and it already seems likely that at this time next year, he could be a head coach. Minter has made it clear that he wants an offensive coordinator who can mold the offense around the strengths of Lamar Jackson and company, not the other way around. If last year is any indication, it should be a seamless fit as the Ravens like to operate their offense with multiple tight-ends and heavy personnel to run the ball and play-action off of it, much like Chicago did last year.
On Monday, Minter solidified the next major part of the staff bringing in former Ravens assistant Anthony Weaver to be their defensive coordinator. Weaver, who coached in Baltimore from 2021-2023, has been a hot name in the head coaching carousel after spending two years as the defensive coordinator in Miami, garnering interest from the Ravens, Bills, and Steelers amongst other teams. Weaver is known to be a very strong leader who can command the room and connect with the players (evidenced by teams’ interest in him being their head coach). With Minter already calling the plays on defense and bringing his own mastery in the secondary, the addition of Weaver feels like a dream scenario for a defense that’s struggled to live up to their standard (or any standard) on in the trenches over the last two years.
As we all know from last year, games are not won on paper. However, Minter’s initial hiring spree in Baltimore has been a smashing success. With a few upgrades in the trenches, there’s no reason to think the Ravens won’t be back in contention in 2026. More importantly, it’s a sign that when Ravens assistants and coordinators inevitably get poached by other teams, Minter will be able to reload the staff. The Ravens are an A-list NFL franchise and have a two-time MVP at quarterback – both alluring factors when coaches are deciding whether or not to come to Baltimore. Nonetheless, it’s been an impressive start to Minter’s head coaching career, and I for one, am extremely excited and optimistic to see the new look Ravens go to work in 2026.
