It will be a reunion of sorts on Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Los Angeles Chargers. Mike Tomlin will coach against Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. The two got to know each other when Minter’s dad, Rick, was the head coach at the University of Cincinnati, where Tomlin worked as the defensive backs coach from 1999-2000. Minter said that Tomlin is one of the people he has the most respect for in the league.
“Mike Tomlin, man, there’s not a guy that I probably have more respect and love for,” Minter said via the Chargers’ YouTube channel.
He talked about visiting Cincinnati and working with Tomlin, who he said “took interest” in him. He said that he developed a relationship with Tomlin at a young age that’s carried over to this day.
“He took interest in me, I took interest in him, and we’ve had a good relationship ever since, which is really cool in this profession that you at a young age get a chance to meet somebody like that.”
“Such a high respect level and care, and like I said, just look forward. Rivalries and games in this league are built on respect in my opinion, and so there’s nobody I respect more.”
Tomlin said in his press conference on Tuesday that Minter “spent a lot of time with me” during his time at Cincinnati and he has a lot of respect for him as a coordinator, via the Steelers’ YouTube channel, so it’s a very mutual level of respect between the two.
It’s cool in the league when old relationships can be rekindled. Minter and Tomlin first got to know each other 25 years ago when Minter was a high schooler, and now they’re both facing off as NFL coaches.
It’s not the first matchup between the two, as Minter worked for the Ravens from 2017-2020, starting as a defensive assistant before working his way to their defensive backs coach. But this is the first meeting between the two where Minter is running the entire defense, and it’s got to be fun for Tomlin to see someone he took under his wing early progress into an NFL coordinator.
Minter’s defense has been one of the best in the league through two weeks in his first year on the job, and Sunday should be a classic slugfest between two teams who rely on their defense and run game. It should be a fun matchup with a lot of meaning for Minter and Tomlin.
