Browns HC finalist Jesse Minter hired as Ravens HC the same day of his canceled 2nd HC interview with Cleveland

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will be coaching against the Browns instead of for them. On Thursday, the same day he was supposed to interview with the Browns a second time for their head coach vacancy, he was hired by the Ravens to replace 18-year head coach John Harbaugh. Minter had met with the Ravens on Wednesday, and knew he was far down the road with them in terms of getting the job. Later that evening, Minter and the Browns mutually agreed to cancel his follow-up session with them, set for Thursday at the Browns’ facility, a story that cleveland.com broke on Thursday morning. Minter, 42, knew he had a better chance of landing the Ravens’ head coach gig than the Browns’, a source said. The feeling on the part of some of the Browns candidates is that they’re seeking an offensive-minded head coach to revive that side of the ball, or they’ll promote defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. By early Thursday evening, the Ravens announced Minter as their fourth head coach. It also dries up one opportunity for Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who interviewed for the Ravens head coach gig on Jan. 14. Schwartz, 59, is still a finalist for the Browns head coach vacancy, along with Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. They talked to Schwartz a second time on Monday, Monken on Tuesday and will host Udinski on Friday and Scheelhaase on Monday. They must also interview another diverse candidate besides Scheelhaase in person to satisfy the Rooney Rule. One option might be to talk to early candidate Aden Durde, the Seahawks defensive coordinator, a second time. Like Scheelhaase, he can’t interview until at least Monday because he faces the Rams in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. Another Browns finalist, former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, canceled his second interview with the Browns on Wednesday to take the Chargers offensive coordinator job that day. Minter returns to Baltimore, where he got his NFL start under Harbaugh as a defensive assistant from 2017-2020, working his way up to defensive backs coach. Minter worked under eventual Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, getting a graduate-level education in defensive coaching under the current Seahawks head coach. The Ravens, always known as for their tough, aggressive defenses, will carry on the tradition under Minter. Cleveland.com reported earlier Thursday that Schwartz and Monken, both 59, are still very much in the running for the Browns head coach vacancy after having their second interviews on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. The two rising offensive stars in Udinski and Scheelhaase, are also very much in the mix. If Schwartz doesn’t get the job, it remains to be seen if he’ll want to stick around as coordinator. The Browns have articulated to all of their finalists that they would like Schwartz to remain as coordinator if he doesn’t get promoted, but the finalists also know that they have the authority to assemble their own staff. Schwartz is the lone remaining defensive finalist, and the only one with head coach experience, having gone 29-51 in the regular season with the Lions from 2009-13, and 0-1 in the playoffs. But he’s worked for four different teams since then as a coordinator or senior defensive assistant, and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles after the 2017 season. He’s also molded the Browns into one of the best defenses in the NFL over the past three seasons, and has coached Myles Garrett to what will soon be two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Browns rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger is also the favorite to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Monken, the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2019 under Freddie Kitchens, brings 11 years NFL coaching experience, and 37 in coaching overall. The Browns admire the impact he’s had on Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense, taking the unit to an elite level during his three-year stint. Jackson also earned his second AP NFL MVP honors under Monken’s guidance in 2023, producing the NFL’s fourth-best passer rating (102.7), and throwing for 3,678 yards with 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Jackson added 821 rushing yards and five TDs to become the only QB in NFL history with multiple seasons (also 2019) reaching the incredible 3,000/800 milestone. In his first two seasons at the helm, Monken’s offenses ranked first in red zone TD pct. (67.9), rushing yards per game (172.1) and passer rating (110.8) and second in points per game (28.4), yards per play (6.3) and total yards per game (397.6) during this span. He was also coordinator of the Bucs from 2016-18 before joining the Browns for Kitchens’ one-and-done season. If Monken gets the job, it’s possible he’ll keep Schwartz as defensive coordinator, and then just have to build out his offensive staff. If he doesn’t get the head coach job or get hired here as coordinator, he has a chance to join John Harbaugh as offensive coordinator with the Giants. Harbaugh seems to be keeping the job open for Monken in the event he doesn’t become Browns head coach. But the Browns are also very intrigued by Udinski and Scheelhaase, and are eager to talk to them in person. Udinski, who turned 30 on Jan. 12, would be the youngest NFL head coach ever hired, beating out the Rams’ Sean McVay, who was 30 years and 353 days when hired in 2017. Udinski, who’s wise beyond his years and has a commanding presence, has a head coach interview scheduled with the Bills on Sunday, two days after he spends the day here with the Browns. He might need some time to grow into the job, but if paired with an experienced offensive coordinator and if Schwartz remains in place, the combination could work well. The same goes for Scheelhaase, who’s been described by some as the next McVay. He also brings four years’ experience as a college quarterback, having started four seasons at Illinois. The Browns will seriously consider hiring one of the young guys and surrounding them with the right advisors and talent. But they also still like their experienced veterans.