Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have scheduled their interview with Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, according to a report by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
Minter will have a virtual interview with the Steelers on Saturday, Breer reported. That will be his eighth interview of the cycle, having previously talked with the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. Minter interviewed with the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons on Thursday and is scheduled to meet with the Cleveland Browns on Friday.
The Steelers’ interview with Minter will be virtual, by league rule. They can begin to interview candidates like Minter, whose Chargers team has been eliminated from the postseason, in-person beginning on Monday, Jan. 19.
The Steelers have formally requested eight interviews so far, and four of them are scheduled, with Minter’s Saturday virtual meeting coming after three on Friday.
Minter is a rising candidate in this year’s coaching carousel. The Chargers defense significantly improved in the 2025 season under Minter, ranking seventh in total yards allowed and near the top in key metrics like passing touchdowns allowed (5th) and EPA per play (7th).
The Steelers have plucked three relatively unknown defensive coordinators and watched them grow into the best head coaches in the franchise’s history. After longtime leader Mike Tomlin resigned on Tuesday, Steelers president Art Rooney II isn’t pigeonholing his head coaching search to fit the same criteria.
“For now, I don’t wanna sort of put any real parameters around it,” Rooney said during a press conference on Wednesday. “We’re gonna be an open book in terms of who we look for and the list that we build. Can I sign up for another Chuck Noll or another Bill Cowher or another Mike Tomlin? Sure. Somebody that we feel fits that mold would be great, but, for now, we’re not gonna narrow the box too much.”
Minter, 42, has a similarities to Cowher. Cowher was an up-and-coming young coach with the Cleveland Browns, was a part of some Cleveland teams than tortured the Steelers, and then left to take a promotion with the Kansas City Chiefs before the Steelers hired him.
Minter was an assistant coach with the Ravens from 2017-20 before going to the college ranks to become defensive coordinator at Michigan. He followed Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers last year and is already considered to be one of the top coaching candidates for the Ravens job.
Minter’s dad, Rick Minter, has ties to Tomlin. Minter was the head coach at Cincinnati when Tomlin was the defensive backs coach from 1999-2000.
Chris Ward contributed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Schedule Head Coach Interview with Jesse Minter
