Michigan has a new defensive coordinator in the form of Jesse Minter. Minter comes to the Wolverines after spending one year at Vanderbilt as the Commodores' defensive coordinator.
Minter is the son of former Cincinnati head coach Rick Minter, and he played wide receiver at Mount Saint Joseph in Ohio. He then spent time at Notre Dame and Cincinnati as a low-tier assistant before becoming a linebackers coach and then defensive coordinator at Indiana State (coincidentally, where several former Wolverines now coach, including head man Curt Mallory). Minter then moved on to become Georgia State's defensive coordinator in 2013 and was a Broyles Award nominee as one of the top assistants in the country.
Minter was hired in 2017 to be an assistant for the Baltimore Ravens, coaching defensive backs through 2020. After just one season as the primary defensive backs coach in 2020, he was hired away by Vandy to be their defensive coordinator.
Hit the jump for more.
Here's how Minter's defenses have fared as a defensive coordinator:
- Georgia State in 2013: #107 total defense, #110 scoring defense
- Georgia State in 2014: #119 total defense, #128 scoring defense
- Georgia State in 2015: #74 total defense, #78 scoring defense,
- Georgia State in 2016: #46 total defense, #54 scoring defense
- Vanderbilt in 2021: #118 total defense, #119 scoring defense
I know some people think this is a home run hire for Michigan because it likely keeps a similar defensive structure and some similar terminology, since both Minter and departed defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald are former Ravens coaches. While I do think continuity is important, I have to say this is perhaps Michigan's most underwhelming coordinator hire under Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh's former plan was to take well respected coordinators like D.J. Durkin and Don Brown to coach his defenses, along with a guy who was on the cusp of being an NFL defensive coordinator in Macdonald. This time he's taking a guy with lots of experience, but with very little in the way of an outstanding track record.
I trust Jim Harbaugh that he sees something in Minter. After all, he's done a good job of identifying coordinators in the past. But on the face of it, it's not all that exciting of a development. The huge caveat is that Minter has not been working with cream-of-the-crop talent at Indiana State, Georgia State, and Vanderbilt, so they've been overmatched in the vast majority of games; the flip side is that no other program with access to talent decided to entrust their defense to Minter.
Minter is apparently a plus recruiter who is ensconced in the college recruiting game. He's been involved with recruiting all except for his four-year detour with the Ravens. That means he should be a step up from Macdonald in that area, since Macdonald seemed to have an eye on the NFL, where he wouldn't have to recruit.
As for how Minter fits into the coaching staff, it's a bit of an odd fit. Mike Elston is the defensive line coach, and Steve Clinkscale seems locked in as the cornerbacks coach. Those two seem pretty solid. After that there's a bit of an odd mix with Minter (who has experience with LB, CB, S), George Helow (the LB coach who can also coach S), and defensive newcomer Jay Harbaugh. Clinkscale is contractually promised a co-defensive coordinator role, but it's an awkward fit if you have both your co-coordinators as defensive backs guys. So they're going to "co-coordinate" with a focus on the back end of the defense, while the front end doesn't get much attention?
I think it can work, because the staff will obviously work together, especially since Elston is a well respected coach with a good track record. But it's just not the norm. As for where Jay Harbaugh fits into the equation, it seems like he will remain the special teams coordinator, and I think an easy way to ease him into coaching defense is to put him in charge of the nickel position (which Daxton Hill played in 2021). That way he's coaching a small number of players, working with multiple coaches (S/CB, perhaps LB) in drills to expand his knowledge, and not too overburdened to handle his special teams coaching duties.
In Harbaugh I trust, but it will be interesting to see how things play out.
I hope this isn't another hire in the vein of Brian Jean-Mary. Because from those numbers, that's what this looks like.
ReplyDeleteI think Jean-Mary wanted to put Michigan on his resume and was never really interested in working in the north or at a place like Michigan. That was a terrible fit.
DeleteI kind of like the hire.
ReplyDeleteMinter is an alleged analytics guy with a background in the defense we ran last year. We have pretty much nothing but kids on D, I think it's a plus not having to change terminology, how we think about personal in positions or much of anything else on that side of the ball for that matter.
It would be just really, way double nice if he's a guy that can pull some calls out of his tail the likes of MacDonald's now fabled call at the end of the Penn State game las year. It would also be nice to not be getting tempoed anymore.
I like all of these moves. I can see young Harbaugh taking on additional recruiting responsibilities. I don't think he gets the title of Recruiting Coordinator, but I believe he'll be doing much of that work while learning defense, maybe at the nickel as offered above but surely spending some quality time with his Uncle John. So moving him over allows him to make up some for the loss of Courtney Morgan too, who after all the excitement about him coming in, people were strangely not sad about seeing him go. That thing would be interesting to know more about, if only for its value as gossip.
Consequently, I think we just got better at recruiting which hardly seems possible, as that was a pretty crack staff across the board that we ran with last year.
I also think that the group of coaches Harbaugh has assembled this year has a shot at something akin to the success guys off of Ara Parseghian staffs had as head coaches back in the Miami "Cradle of Coaches" days.
Forgot to mention.
DeleteI think Grant Newsom will be a force to be reckoned with recruiting, especially with the academic families. When he starts talking about why Michigan, academics and why you need em, families are gonna listen hard.
I share your optimism on Newsome and will just add that I bet he's going to be able to give a pretty spirited pep talk in the locker room the next time these kids run into Wisconsin.
DeleteCount me in the not impressed group, though I said the same about MacDonald. Can it work out again? I have doubts, which Thunder lays out well
ReplyDeleteGood news is, we should be much better than nine of our next opponents, and probably a favorite for the first eleven. Just gotta make it happen
From Balas, who as we all know doesn't always get the scoop right, but can be depended upon for the facts.
ReplyDeleteMinter was named the Sun Belt Conference’s top recruiter by Scout.com.
In 2015, Georgia State had the biggest scoring defense turnaround at the FBS level, allowing 15 fewer points/game than in 2014. The defense also improved by 122.3 fewer total yards/game allowed. The Panthers finished in the top four in the Sun Belt in scoring defense (28.3 points/game), total defense (405.6 yards/game), rushing defense (181.4 yards/game) and pass efficiency defense (120.3).
All of that was up from mostly last across the board.
Minter was nominated for the 2015 Broyles Award, given to the best assistant coach in college football.
I'll take it.
I don't think our defense will be pure greatness this year what with likely generational losses and youth. Football fans being what they are, Minter will of course get the heat, but the guy's track record is definitely one of steadily improved defense on his watch.
I think Balas only reports what he is told by insiders. Not sure he can be faulted, unless you think he should be able to sort through what sources are most reliable, which is a skill a good journalist should have
ReplyDeleteThis isn't true. Balas reports on rumors and some of them might be insiders and some of them might not, but there's tons of opinion in there. Balas will sometimes say "(opinion)" in a given sentence as if the other 8 paragraphs before that weren't but don't let it fool you. These are hot takes and just because they're from an insider (or someone the insider believes) doesn't make them facts.
DeleteBalas does have good intel and connections but it's definitely juiced up and sometimes inappropriate or just wrong. All the crap he slung at Onwenu for example was totally unprofessional IMO.
I share the trust in Harbaugh. He's not batting a thousand but he is right a lot throughout his career.
ReplyDeleteI would argue Minter is a more impressive hire than McDonald was on paper. Both are young and getting the Harbaugh family/Ravens braintrust endorsement, but Minter's resume is more impressive, IMO. Granted, he's 4 years older so it should for somebody in their mid 30s. Still you're talking about a guy with multiple years of DC experience in Minter, compared with McDonald's 4 years as a position coach.
John Beilein famously never coached as an assistant for anyone. Obviously most guys do it differently. McDonald was a smaller fish in a much bigger NFL pond while Minter had much bigger duties at lower levels (though he did the NFL thing too). Now obviously it worked with McDonald here but I think you still have to say that Minter is objectively more qualified to be a DC on the hire date.
I think you could argue Minter is more proven than some of the other guys too: Gattis, Weiss, and Moore. He's called plays. He's done the job. Those other guys were contributors at best before Harbaugh hired them.
Hopefully they all mesh well and the Jaybaugh/Bellomy flip works. Continuity is nice but may be a mirage. Nobody is left on D staff from the 2020 group so in a sense everyone is still new. More importantly, there may need to be substantial changes to play calls with our DEs and Safeties getting turned over and a cliff coming not only in experience (certain) but talent (near certain).
McDonald did a great job but was also handed elite talent and a well coached veteran crew. The silver lining of 2020 was a lot of guys got experience under fire. And say what you want about Brown but he developed players well for his system. McDonald took that and ran with it.
Minter's job will be harder with a substantial rebuild needed. The cupboard won't be bare (Smith, Harrell, Colson, Moore, Turner) but also not loaded with 1st and 2nd round talent sprinkled between proven vets.