Why Jesse Minter Makes Sense For Dolphins Head Coaching Job

The Miami Dolphins’ caput coaching hunt is successful nan mediate of nan first information of interviews, truthful it’s a bully clip to excavation a small deeper into immoderate of nan candidates. 

We’ve already covered Kevin Stefanski and Jeff Hafley, truthful coming we’re taking a look astatine Los Angeles Chargers protect coordinator Jesse Minter. He interviewed pinch Miami connected Thursday and was requested by conscionable astir each squad pinch an opening, making him 1 of nan much celebrated candidates. 

What makes Minter truthful appealing? Let’s dive into his inheritance and play-calling acquisition to spot why nan Dolphins for illustration him. 

Jesse Minter’s Background, Defensive Acumen 

Let’s commencement pinch really Minter’s defense has performed nan past 2 seasons. In 2025, nan Chargers vanished 5th successful yards allowed per crippled and ninth successful points allowed per game. 

Specifically, nan Chargers were fantabulous against nan pass. The squad allowed conscionable 179.9 passing yards per game, bully for 5th successful nan league. LA was eighth successful rushing yards allowed per game, truthful it’s not for illustration they were getting gashed successful that area, either. 

In fact, it’s kinda difficult to find a azygous metric wherever Minter’s defense didn’t execute good successful 2025. LA was 5th successful force third-down conversion rate, eighth successful protect occurrence rate, 4th successful force reddish area conversion rate, and first successful passer standing allowed. 

There’s a adjacent statement that LA had 1 of nan champion and astir well-rounded defenses successful nan athletics this past season. If you’re worried astir that being a fluke, LA was seventh successful yards allowed and first successful points allowed per crippled successful Minter’s first play (2024). 

Simply put, since Minter arrived alongside Jim Harbaugh, nan defense has dominated. 

Play-calling and strategy are only half nan battle, though. A coach's acquisition and pedigree matter rather a bit. Minter, of course, comes disconnected nan Harbaugh coaching tree. 

What group mightiness not recognize is that Minter spent a batch of clip pinch some brothers. He now useful pinch Jim, and Minter was besides his protect coordinator astatine Michigan erstwhile it won nan nationalist title a fewer seasons ago. 

But Minter’s first NFL occupation was pinch John Harbaugh successful Baltimore. Minter worked his measurement up from a protect adjunct to nan team’s protect backmost coach from 2017 done 2020. 

What makes this intriguing for a squad for illustration nan Dolphins is that Minter is simply a important portion of what’s becoming nan premier protect coaching character successful nan NFL. 

Mike Macdonald, nan Seattle Seahawks caput coach, and his strategy person kinda go nan protect type of nan Kyle Shanahan offense. It’s not rather to that level, but Macdonald has disciples each complete nan sport. 

Minter overlapped pinch Macdonald successful Baltimore, and he took complete for him astatine Michigan, utilizing nan aforesaid concepts. 

Others see Dolphins protect coordinator Anthony Weaver, Titans protect coordinator Dennard Wilson, and Ravens protect coordinator Zach Orr. Plus, existent Seahawks DC Aden Durde looks for illustration nan adjacent man up. 

This strategy is slow but surely becoming nan “it” protect scheme, and Minter is doing it amended than everyone not named Macdonald. 

What Are Minter’s Drawbacks?

No caput coaching campaigner is perfect, and that includes Minter. There are really 2 large drawbacks pinch him arsenic a candidate. The first is obvious: A deficiency of caput coaching experience. 

Minter has ne'er led an full squad astatine nan assemblage aliases NFL level, and nan Dolphins haven’t had overmuch occurrence pinch first-time candidates. Since Stephen Ross became nan owner, nan squad has exclusively hired first-time caput coaches. 

There’s ever a learning curve, moreover for coaches who person nan correct intelligence make-up and activity skills to do a bully job. 

The different rumor is that Minter is simply a protect coordinator. That intends he’ll person to perpetually churn violative coaches, which is simply a bigger rumor than immoderate for illustration to admit. 

That’s really nan perfect outcome, though, because if Minter isn’t hiring caller violative play-callers each mates of years, it apt intends nan discourtesy isn’t performing well. There are immoderate cases wherever you autumn into an older play-caller who won’t get caput coaching looks, but that’s beautiful rare. 

Who will tally Minter’s discourtesy and really agelong he tin support them astir will apt beryllium nan 2 astir important questions of his candidacy. The Harbaugh coaching character doesn’t person rather nan aforesaid acumen pinch discourtesy arsenic it does connected defense. 

The champion existent violative play-caller from that character is Todd Monken, who is interviewing for caput coaching jobs and expected to travel John Harbaugh to New York. 

Still, Minter is nan champion schematic protect action successful this year’s crop, and his coaching character gives him much advantages than disadvantages. He’s a beardown campaigner if nan Dolphins are OK pinch going nan first-time way again.

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