More clarity is emerging regarding why Jesse Minter ultimately decided not to pursue the Cleveland Browns’ head coaching job before accepting the same position with the Baltimore Ravens.
Earlier on Thursday, Minter abruptly canceled his scheduled second in-person interview with Cleveland. Later in the day, he was officially announced as Baltimore’s new head coach, signing a five-year deal with the division rival.
According to Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the decision was driven largely by how Minter viewed his chances in Cleveland compared to Baltimore.
“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,” Cabot wrote.
With the Browns widely viewed as leaning toward either a young offensive coach or an internal promotion of Schwartz, Minter may have seen the writing on the wall.
The Ravens had familiarity with Minter from his previous stint with the organization from 2017 to 2020, and league insiders reported strong interest almost immediately following his visit.
For the Browns, the situation highlights a growing challenge in their coaching search.
Much of that hesitation, according to league observers, centers on the Browns’ quarterback situation and overall direction on offense.
From Minter’s perspective, Baltimore offered a clearer runway.
Now, Cleveland’s search continues with a smaller pool of realistic options. Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase are viewed as the leading external candidates, while Jim Schwartz remains the top internal option should ownership decide to maintain continuity on defense.
Until the Browns address their quarterback uncertainty and clarify their long-term vision on offense, convincing top coaching candidates to fully buy in will remain an uphill battle.
And in this case, that hesitation helped send a promising head coach directly to Baltimore.
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