John Harbaugh isn’t letting his departure from Baltimore stop him from weighing in on his successor. Citing his long association with Minter, the former HC offered strong support. He believes the Ravens chose the right man, who’ll uphold the team’s values while putting his own stamp on the franchise.

“He’s [Jesse Minter] done great, and he’s so ready. I really like the hire,” he said via Kevin Oestreicher’s post on X. “There’s a lot of speculation, okay, what direction do they go? I was following it, I’m interested, of course. And they bring in Jesse, I’m like, okay, I get it. Now the Ravens are still the Ravens in a lot of ways, and all the things that were built stand probably. And I think Jesse will put his stamp on it, his personality, everything he does, it’ll be Jesse Minter running the show, and he’ll do a great job.”

The Ravens decided to move on from Harbaugh after 18 seasons, putting their faith in Minter instead. Not only does Harbaugh approve of the hiring, but he also believes that Minter will keep Baltimore’s identity of tough, physical football intact. The former Baltimore coach revealed that he knew him during his days with the Cincinnati Bearcats from 1989 to 1996. 

Jesse’s father, Rick, was the head coach while Harbaugh served as the special teams coordinator. Jesse would turn up during their sessions, learning from both of them. After Harbaugh left for the Indiana Hoosiers, Jesse got a rare chance to learn from Mike Tomlin, who joined his dad to serve as defensive backs coach. In 2017, Minter joined the NFL as a defensive assistant under John, a role he held until 2020.

Over the past four seasons, he worked with Jim Harbaugh as a defensive coordinator at Michigan and later with the Los Angeles Chargers. According to John, Jesse has it in his “DNA.” He described him as smart, hard-working, and personable.

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And the respect is mutual. Jesse Minter had nothing but praise for Harbaugh as well.

“Tons of respect for John. The 18 years here. Wonderful success. A Super Bowl. Probably in the Ring of Honor one day,” Minter said. “Love John. Really just take the foundation in place and build on it. And make it better. And put my own spin on it. And not try to be John Harbaugh, not try to be Jim Harbaugh. Be myself. Connect with everybody. Make it about all of us.”

As for Minter, he earlier praised his predecessor’s legacy, calling his 18-year run and Super Bowl title remarkable. He also revealed his plans to build on the existing culture while doing things his own way. Meanwhile, Harbaugh has weighed in on his exit as he adjusts to a new life with the New York Giants.

John Harbaugh gets honest about his Baltimore exit

The Ravens cut ties with long-time coach John Harbaugh after a Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It not only capped an 8–9 season but also eliminated them from playoff contention for the first time since 2021. While Harbaugh didn’t intend to leave, he has made peace with it.

Speaking on The Howard Eskin Show, Harbaugh compared his exit to turning a new page instead of a professional setback. He felt like the team had thrown him out of a party he never planned to leave. In fact, he called it the “best thing” and is looking forward to starting something exciting in New York. When asked whether the head coach role has an expiration date, Harbaugh didn’t hold back. 

“I knew in my heart that it was time that I was happy,” he said. “I was excited…disappointed…felt a little humbled…Never felt humiliated, but I felt like, ‘Darn it, you want to go out on your own terms.’”

In another interview, Harbaugh made it clear there is no bitterness toward Baltimore. He admitted to wanting to stay, but that doesn’t change the relationship he built with his former team. Despite his exit, the love and gratitude for his coaching staff, players, and the organization persist.

“All the people were just so awesome, mostly the players and the coaches. I love those guys, so I’ll miss that. I’ll miss that. But you know what? Those relationships aren’t going away either. So on to the next thing for everybody.” 

For Harbaugh, the end in Baltimore wasn’t a failure. It was the beginning of something new.