According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will follow new Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh to Los Angeles.
Minter has been Michigan’s defensive coordinator for the last two seasons following Mike Macdonald’s departure to Baltimore. In 2023, the Wolverines ranked first in the country in total defense. Michigan’s defense was sixth in opponent points allowed in 2022 before finishing first this season. The stingy, smothering UM defense allowed 10.4 points per game in 2023.
Regarding coverage, Minter runs a variation of the aforementioned 2021 Macdonald’s 3-4, 4-2-5 Michigan scheme with similar doses of Cover 3 and Cover 1. However, he has also publicly spoken about the differences between dealing with college and pro offenses at length.
Soon to be Chargers DC Jesse Minter discussing the differences between college and NFL offenses pretty extensively pic.twitter.com/pJ3SSnQ80K
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) January 27, 2024
Pelissero added that Greg Roman and Jay Harbaugh are expected to join the Chargers’ staff in “some capacity.” Roman has been rumored to return to the league as LA’s offensive coordinator with Harbaugh. He was Associate Head Coach with Harbaugh at Stanford before becoming his offensive coordinator with San Francisco. He was last employed by the Ravens in 2022 before resigning from his position.
Another possibility for Roman, if someone else was hired for offensive coordinator, would be to take a run game coordinator role with the Chargers. He’s also had experience coaching the offensive line and tight end groups during his lengthy career.
Per the same Wilson report, Jay Harbaugh could be brought on as special teams coordinator. However, the Chargers did block Ryan Ficken from interviewing with other teams. It wouldn’t surprise me if LA tried to keep Ficken as special teams coordinator while giving Harbaugh another role on the staff. At Michigan, he’s also been a position coach for the running backs, safeties, and tight ends in various seasons, in addition to special teams responsibilities.
The “some capacity” in Pelissero’s report certainly does lend itself to the idea that the Chargers are still working through the main coaches’ exact titles on the staff outside Minter.
