Amidst their pursuit of John Harbaugh, the New York Giants are still casting a wide net to find their next leader, and the latest name added to the mix suggests they’re looking for a defensive culture shift. The Giants have requested to interview Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, putting them in the mix with one of the hottest young coordinators in this hiring cycle.
Giants Request to Interview Chargers DC Jesse Minter
Minter is arguably the hottest name on the market this cycle, as he had reportedly received interview requests from all eight of the initial teams with head coaching vacancies. Minter is a rising star in the defensive coaching ranks who could have a transformative effect on a Giants unit that severely underperformed in 2025.
The Giants Need to Fix Their Run Defense
The Giants’ run defense seemed to be incorrigible last season. But hiring Minter could finally fix that.
Under Minter’s leadership, the Chargers’ defense ranked 14th (110.1 yards/game) and 8th (105.4) in run defense in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Giants’ run defense ranked 29th (147.3) and 31st (145.3) in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Their inability to stop the run over the last two seasons played a large role in the eventual firing of defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.
But if the Giants were to hire Minter as their next head coach, not only would he improve their run defense, but they could entrust him to deploy an elite-level defensive scheme across the board.
Minter’s Defense is Elite
Minter’s stock has never been higher following a dominant 2025 campaign where his Chargers defense established itself as one of the premier units in the NFL. Under his watch, Los Angeles finished the regular season ranked 5th in total defense (285.2 yards per game) and 5th in passing defense (179.9 yards per game).
Perhaps most impressively, Minter proved his 2024 success wasn’t a fluke; after leading the league in scoring defense (17.7 PPG) and red-zone efficiency during his first year in LA, he maintained that elite standard, propelling the Chargers to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth despite a struggling offense.
The Harbaugh Protege
Another factor that makes Minter such an enticing candidate for the Giants is his background working under the Harbaugh brothers.
He has spent the better part of the last decade as a top lieutenant for both of the Harbaugh brothers, serving under John Harbaugh in Baltimore for four seasons before joining Jim Harbaugh at Michigan and eventually Los Angeles.
This experience has allowed Minter to master a defensive system that is notoriously difficult for quarterbacks to decode, blending NFL-level complexity with the adaptability required to neutralize modern spread offenses. His track record of rapid improvement is undeniable: at Michigan, he took a top-10 unit and turned it into the No. 1 total defense in the country during their 2023 National Championship run.
Minter Could Fix the Giants’ Defense
For a Giants team that has struggled with defensive consistency, Minter represents a potential schematic overhaul that could maximize a roster featuring high-priced talent like Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Dexter Lawrence.
While New York is also pursuing his former boss, John Harbaugh, Minter is one of the top coordinators in the running and would be a great fallback option.
Minter is compared by many to Seattle Seahawks DC Mike Macdonald, another assistant who rose through the ranks under the Harbaugh coaching tree and is now finding great success in his first season as a head coach. Macdonald is considered a brilliant tactician who can lead a locker room and modernize a defense, and Miner is said to have similar traits and potential.
Although Harbaugh remains the top target, if Minter winds up being the man for the job, they would be landing a 42-year-old rising star who has spent his entire career turning defensive units into the backbones of championship contenders.