Jim Harbaugh continues to fill out his Chargers coaching staff with familiar faces.
Greg Roman, who was Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator with the 49ers from 2011-2014, is joining him in the same role in Los Angeles, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.
Former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will also be taking the same role in Los Angeles, the team announced.
Roman went on to be the offensive coordinator for the Bills before doing the same with the Ravens under Jim’s brother John.
He and the Ravens parted ways after the 2022 season.
Minter, 40, who helped Michigan win a national championship last season, was a defensive assistant in multiple roles with John Harbaugh and the Ravens for three seasons before leaving to become Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
Minter, who was a 2022 finalist for the Broyles Award that’s given to the nation’s top assistant coach, announced he was leaving Michigan in a social media post on Tuesday night.
“Nothing but love to everyone at Michigan, especially the players,” he wrote. “We had a great journey together”
New Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, who held his introductory news conference on Tuesday, said there are players on the roster who should fit easily into the team’s new defensive scheme.
With Minter having learned under former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale during his time in Baltimore, Hortiz is aware of what Minter will need.
“The way that the Chargers’ roster is built is similar to the Ravens’ defense, in terms of the edges, the three down linemen and the two inside linebackers,” Hortiz said. “It’s not going to be a big shift, in terms of how we’re going to build this team out. I think the big thing is mentality. Let’s go. Let’s attack.”
The Wolverines had one of the best defenses in the county during Minter’s two seasons.
They allowed the fewest points in the nation at 13.1 per game during that time.
Minter is the third former Michigan coach to make the jump.
Harbaugh’s old defensive line coach, Mike Elston, is expected to take the same role with the Chargers — according to NFL Network — as is strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert.
Harbaugh is taking over a Chargers team that went through a disappointing 5-12 season under Brandon Staley after a gut-wrenching exit from the playoffs the year prior.
— with AP
