quote:
Jesse Minter
The Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator has been on the rise under coach Jim Harbaugh’s tutelage. Minter has been on Harbaugh’s staff since joining him in 2022 as Michigan’s defensive coordinator.

Minter, 42, is looking like another short-list candidate. He has also bounced between college and the pros, but he cut his teeth in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens (2017-20), who have a well-documented track record of developing high-quality leaders in various roles.

The Chargers had the best scoring defense in the league last season (17.7 ppg allowed), though they’ve dipped early this season (12th at 20.8). It’ll be important for Minter to get that group back on track, as owners want to show results to their fan base when marketing a new hire.

Also DC under Lea at Vandy

quote:
Joe Brady
The 36-year-old offensive coordinator has done a really good job since taking over the Bills’ unit in 2023. Among the highlights on his resume: The Bills blossomed into a top-10 rushing team — they’re No. 1 in the NFL entering Week 7 — and quarterback Josh Allen won the MVP in 2024.

Brady will have to fight a stigma, as skeptics will argue it’s easy to coach someone like Allen. That’s a reasonable concern, but even a QB with an alien skill set needs to be well-coached, and Brady has delivered.

Brady was on a rapidly rising coaching track when he got his first big break as LSU’s passing game coordinator with quarterback Joe Burrow, helping deliver one of the greatest seasons in college football history.

He was humbled during a two-year stint as the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator from 2020-21, but there’s value in learning from those experiences. It appears Brady has done that and should again be on the receiving end of a handful of interview requests. Last cycle, he interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars and Saints for their head-coaching vacancies.