Baltimore Ravens Have Talked to Chuck Pagano About DC Job
By Ben Palmer
The Baltimore Ravens have reportedly talked to former Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano about the team’s defensive coordinator position.
The Baltimore Ravens have reportedly reached out to former Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano about the team’s defensive coordinator position, according to Jeff Zriebec and Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun.
The position recently opened up when Dean Pees, the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator since 2012, announced his retirement following the team’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday.
Pagano was the Ravens’ secondary coach from 2008 to 2010 and defensive coordinator in 2011. In the 2011 season, when he was the team’s defensive coordinator, he led the Baltimore Ravens’ defense to a No. 3 finish in both points and yards allowed.
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According to Zriebec and Preston, it’s “unclear” how far into negotiations the Ravens are with Pagano, but he “has maintained close ties with several Ravens officials, including head coach John Harbaugh, who hired Pagano as his secondary coach in 2008, and [is] held in extremely high regard by owner Steve Bisciotti and other team officials.”
Pagano became the Colts’ head coach in 2012, his first head coaching position in the NFL, and went a combined 53-43 over his five seasons with the team, with a 3-3 record in the postseason.
During his first season as the Colts’ head coach, Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent treatment from Weeks 5 through 16. His cancer eventually went into remission, and the Colts finished the regular season with an 11-5 record, losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card game.
If the Ravens elect to go with someone other than Pagano as their defensive coordinator, there are plenty of options. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that the heir apparent to Dean Pees is current linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale.
According to Zriebec and Preston, “The Ravens value Martindale’s teaching ability and have made sure in recent seasons that other teams didn’t poach him off Harbaugh’s staff.”
Next: Ravens Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees Retires
Another potential option is former Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, who was the Ravens’ linebackers coach from 1999 to 2001, and was the Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2014.