Candidate profile: Jesse Minter
Three weeks after signing a second extension to remain Missouri's defensive coordinator, Blake Baker has agreed to do the same job for LSU. Now, Missouri is searching for its fourth defensive coordinator in five years.
You can find out full hot board here. In the meantime, we will also bring you a more in-depth look at each candidate by profiling one every day during the search.
Current position: Michigan defensive coordinator
Coaching experience: 18 years (nine as defensive coordinator)
Age: 40
Salary: $1.2 million
Buyout: $2 milliion
Minter played wide receiver at Mount St. Joseph from 2002-05 and launched his coaching career the next year as a defensive intern at Notre Dame under Charlie Weis.
He was then a graduate assistant at Cincinnati for the 2007-08 seasons before becoming the linebackers coach for Indiana State in the 2009-10 seasons.
In 2011, at 28, he was promoted to be the Sycamores' defensive coordinator. That year, Indiana State allowed 25.45 points per game en route to a 6-5 record. The next year, the Sycamores only allowed 14.27 points per game.
In 2013, Minter was hired for the same position at Georgia State and remained there through the 2016 season.
| Years (record) | PPG allowed (FBS Rank) | Total yards per game allowed (rank) | Passing yards allowed per game (rank) | Rushing yards allowed per game (rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2013 (0-12) |
36.7 (111) |
464.1 (107) |
242.9 (83) |
221.2 (110) |
|
2014 (1-11) |
43.3 (last) |
497.1 (119) |
193.7 (19) |
303.4 (127) |
|
2015 (6-7) |
28.3 (79) |
405.8 (73) |
222.5 (64) |
183.2 (81) |
|
2016 (3-9) |
26.6 (54) |
380.7 (46) |
173.9 (8) |
206.8 (95) |
|
Average |
33.72 |
436.92 |
208.25 |
228.65 |
The year before Minter's hiring, the Panthers went 1-10 in their final season as an FCS school and allowed 38.54 points per game.
In Minter's first season, Georgia State went 0-12, but the foundation for improvement was set in place.
The next year, Georgia Sate took a slight step back in total defense and fell to the worst scoring defense in the country, but the Panthers were decent against the pass.
Then, they took a dramatic leap forward to being a middle-of-the-road defense in the team's best season during Minter's tenure.
The Panthers would have their best defensive season in Minter's final year in 2016, with the team being a top-50 defense and a top-10 pass defense.
From 2017-2020, Minter would be on the Baltimore Ravens staff under John Harbaugh as an analyst and a defensive backs coach.
He'd return to college football as Vanderbilt's defensive coordinator in 2021.
In 2020 before Minter’s hiring, Vandy had the eighth-worst defense in the FBS, allowing 487.9 total yards per game. It also allowed 37.4 points per game (113th), 296.4 passing yards per game (119th) and 191.4 rushing yards per game (91st).
In Minter's lone season with the Commodores, they were the 13th-worst defense in the nation, allowing 457.9 total yards per game. They allowed almost two fewer points per game at 35.8 (119th) and 32.1 fewer passing yards per game at 264.3 (113th), but about two more yards on the ground per game at 193.7 (107th).
Minter joined Jim Harbaugh's staff in 2022 to be the Wolverines’ defensive coordinator.
| Years (record) | PPG allowed (FBS Rank) | Total yards per game allowed (rank) | Passing yards allowed per game (rank) | Rushing yards allowed per game (rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2022 (13-1) |
16.1 (7) |
292.1 (6) |
194.2 (20) |
97.9 (7) |
|
2023 (15-0) |
10.4 (1) |
247.0 (1) |
157.0 (2) |
90.0 (6) |
|
Average |
13.25 |
269.55 |
175.6 |
93.95 |
In 2022, Michigan had a top-10 defense, scoring defense and run defense and won the Big Ten championship before falling to TCU in the CFP semifinals.
This past season, the Wolverines' defense led the way with the nation's best defense and scoring defense to go with a top-10 run and pass defense.
Minter showed when he has the talent, he is capable of producing elite defenses. He got his shot at Michigan with top athletes and turned a top-10 defense into the best defense en route to a perfect season.
Overall, Minter being the top assistant on the reigning national champions would probably make Michigan inclined to keep him around.
Missouri could afford the buyout, but it would probably have to pay the $2 million buyout and make him the highest-paid coordinator. So, that's probably around $4.5-5 million to obtain his services.
He'd be hard to snag away from Michigan if Jim Harbaugh stays.
Missouri's best shot at a hire like Minter is If Jim decided to go to the NFL and not bring Minter, but even then leaving a school like Michigan fresh off a championship seems unlikely.
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