The Las Vegas Raiders haven’t made a decision on whether or not they’re going to fire Pete Carroll, but things aren’t looking good for the legendary head coach. The team is 2-13 and is having one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
Carroll is a proven winner, but at 74, he’s likely not the right coach to oversee a long rebuild. The Raiders would be wise to give a young coach a shot to see if they can turn things around.
This year’s crop of candidates isn’t considered as strong as last year’s, but there are some intriguing options. Many want to see the Raiders go with an offensive coach to help develop a potential first-round pick quarterback, but the team might be eyeing another defensive coach.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter could be on their radar.
“If the Raiders make a change, I’d say Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter would be an interesting name to keep an eye on,” Breer wrote. “Minter’s done a nice job in three different stops (Vanderbilt, Michigan and the Chargers) as a DC, and Mike Macdonald’s success in Seattle helps him. Minter was a Ravens staffmate of Macdonald’s and replaced him at Michigan in 2022.”
Can Minter Have Success as a Head Coach?
Hiring defensive coordinators to be head coaches when a team doesn’t have an established quarterback has been a recipe for failure in recent years. However, Minter isn’t one of these old-school defensive coaches.
Though he’s always coached on the defensive side of the ball, he played wide receiver in college, so he understands offense to some level. Also, he’s worked closely with Jim Harbaugh for years, who is one of the best head coaches in football.
Breer mentioned Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, who was a defensive coordinator before taking his current job. He has quickly turned the Seahawks into one of the best teams in the NFC. Not only do they have a top-five defense under McDonald, but they also have a top-five offense.
One thing that Harbaugh has always done is hire the right assistant coaches. He appears to have passed that gift to Macdonald. Perhaps he has also passed it on to Minter.
Minter Has Done Excellent Work With Chargers Defense
For a coordinator looking to be a head coach, they have to make sure that their side of the ball plays well. The Chargers aren’t exactly loaded with young defensive talent, but they are third in the NFL in yards allowed this season, and eighth in points allowed.
The defense was No. 1 in points allowed last season under Minter. If the Raiders hired Minter, he could likely build a very good defense around star defensive end Maxx Crosby.
The bigger question is whether or not he can develop a young quarterback. If the Raiders don’t think he can or hire the right offensive coordinator who can do that, then they should look at other options. That said, they could certainly do worse than hiring Minter.
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