‘He Doesn’t Make It About Him’
Minter’s friends and former colleagues are rejoicing that he has been named the fourth head coach in Ravens history. They are convinced Baltimore made the right choice, just like Lea was convinced he made the right move five years ago when he hired Minter.
Lea is 44 years old, just two years older than Minter. Lea is a first-time head coach at Vanderbilt, just like Minter will be a first-time head coach with the Ravens.
Having been a head coach for five years, and coming off a 10-3 season in the highly competitive SEC, Lea can relate to the challenge that awaits Minter. What advice would Lea give Minter as he takes over the Ravens?
Lea chuckled at the question, but he has no doubt that Minter is ready to sit in the big chair.
“I don’t think there’s anything that can totally prepare you to be a head coach,” said Lea, who has turned Vanderbilt’s program around and recently signed a six-year extension. “It’s something you have to experience and learn from.
“The thing about Jesse is, he’s a teacher and he understands it’s a players’ game. He doesn’t make it about him. The other thing is, he’s going to make mistakes. We’ve all made mistakes, but it’s not about being perfect. It’s recognizing where the gaps are as a head coach and moving quickly to fix them. That’s Jesse. He adapts quickly.”
