As the Chargers and Rams kickoff the NFL playoffs this weekend, they’ll do so amidst outside distractions.
News broke Friday morning that the Tennessee Titans have put in requests to interview Rams DC Chris Shula and Chargers DC Jesse Minter.
It’s unknown when the interviews will take place given the Rams and Chargers both play this weekend — Rams at Carolina (Saturday, 1:30 p.m. PT) and Chargers at Patriots (Sunday, 5 p.m. PT). Per NFL rules, interviews cannot take place until Wild Card Weekend is complete.
Shula and Minter are widely regarded as young and bright defensive minds, and it’s only a matter of time before either gets a chance at a head coaching gig.
Both coaches have no head coaching experience at the NFL level, although Minter is 1-0 at the collegiate level. When Jim Harbaugh was suspended for Michigan’s first three games to begin the 2023 season, Minter served as interim head coach in the first game of the year, a 30–3 victory over East Carolina.
The 39-year-old Shula comes from arguably the most impressive bloodline in the NFL.
His father, Dave, was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 1992-96. His uncle, Mike, has been coaching at the collegiate or NFL level since 1988. Lastly, his grandfather, Don, is the winningest coach in NFL history with 347 career victories, 328 regular season victories and is widely considered one of the greatest coaches of all time.
Shula has undergone a steady rise since he joined the Rams in 2017 as an assistant linebackers coach. Shula played a key role in the Rams Super Bowl title four years ago with a dominant defense led by Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey before ascending to the role of defensive coordinator in 2024.
As the Rams reset their payroll this season on the defensive side of the ball, Shula still led a unit that overachieved. His defense ranked first in fewest rushing touchdowns allowed, fifth in turnovers forced and 10th in points allowed.
“I mean, if the right spot and the right context, if the right situation presents itself, when that time comes, then we’ll decide that,” Shula said Wednesday. “I have a routine that I do every single week to be ready to play games, and this week I’m going to be locked in on that routine. We’re playing an opponent that’s very capable of beating us.”
Minter has undergone a meteoric rise since joining Harbaugh at Michigan in 2022. After two years with the Wolverines and winning a national title in 2023, Minter followed Harbaugh to Southern California to be the defensive coordinator with the Chargers.
Since Minter’s influence, the Chargers have routinely been one of the best defensive units in the NFL. This past season, Minter’s group surrendered the lowest passer rating in the NFL at 75.0 and fifth in yards allowed. They also showed a proclivity for big plays, finishing third in interceptions and 11th in sacks.
On Friday according to Kalshi, a New York-based financial exchange and prediction market, Minter is the betting favorite to become the next head coach of Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Current odds put Minter at 28%, with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores (16%) and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak (10%) as the only other candidates with realistic odds.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
