Michigan to hire Jesse Minter as defensive coordinator

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is filling out his staff and is expected to hire Jesse Minter as defensive coordinator.

Minter, 38, replaces Mike Macdonald, who left Michigan after one season to return to the Baltimore Ravens where he had spent the seven previous seasons. The hire is expected to be finalized this week, a source confirmed to The Detroit News on Tuesday. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the hire.

Minter spent the last season as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator, but was on the Ravens’ defensive staff from 2017-2020 and overlapped with Macdonald. This suggests Minter will bring continuity to Michigan’s defense that Macdonald installed and finished ranked 20th nationally (330.8 yards) and No. 8 in scoring defense (17.4 points).

Vanderbilt's defense ranked 118th of 130 FBS teams last season, yielding an average 457.7 yards a game during Minter's one season as coordinator. But the point of hiring him to Michigan is to carry on with the system Macdonald started in his one season with the Wolverines.

Harbaugh, who returns for his eighth season at Michigan after not being offered last week the job to coach the Minnesota Vikings, is filling out his staff. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis left Sunday to become offensive coordinator at Miami (Florida), and indications are Sherrone Moore, co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach last year, and Matt Weiss, quarterbacks coach, will be co-offensive coordinators. Harbaugh is expected to do some maneuvering within the staff before the start of spring practice.

Michigan is coming off a 12-2 season, including a Big Ten championship, but lost in a national semifinal to Georgia. The Wolverines head into this season without both coordinators from last year.

There was speculation last year that Macdonald would bring Minter, who coached defensive backs his final year at Baltimore, to Michigan.

Coincidentally, Minter, 38, was a graduate assistant (2007-2008) under Brian Kelly at Cincinnati where new Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston also was on staff. He also has been a defensive coordinator at Indiana State (2011-2012) and Georgia State (2013-2016). Minter played receiver for Division III Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati — his father, Rick Minter, had been head coach at UC.

achengelis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @chengelis