Since the start of the offseason, the Baltimore Ravens have lost a total of nine members of their coaching staff who have found opportunities that they wanted to explore with other organizations, whether at the NFL level or in the college ranks. Most recently, they lost their running backs coach, who will be moving to Michigan to coach under John Harbaugh’s brother, Jim.
With the large number of coaches shuffling in and out of the organization, the turnover is obviously going to take some adjustment period, though we have certainly seen teams have success quickly under far more adverse circumstances and a greater amount of change. Still, it will be a process.
All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey, for example, recently joked on Twitter that the first practice of the season “is going to be a meet and greet”, simply because there are going to be so many new faces that they will all have to get to know one another first.
Our first practice is going to be a meet and greet https://t.co/BgNeGhx8Xb
— Marlon Humphrey (@marlon_humphrey) February 21, 2021
Now, it really should be noted that, while nine coaches is a significant number to lose no matter how you want to look at it, the Ravens have not lost any of their most prominent coaches. Obviously, Harbaugh is still steering the ship, while Greg Roman remains in charger of the offense and Wink Martindale has control of the defense.
Having that stability will make it easier to weather some losses that have come primarily at the assistant coach position, and they have also had the opportunity to add some veterans in the process. For example, they hired the brother of former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, Rob Ryan, as linebackers coach, and Tee Martin is their new quarterbacks coach. Other hires were internal promotions with individuals who have been with the organization for over a decade.
Baltimore isn’t the only team in the division facing changes, of course, ad the Pittsburgh Steelers have made a number of their own to their coaching staff, the most notable being the letting go of Randy Fitchner as offensive coordinator, replacing him with the promotion of former quarterbacks coach Matt Canada to that job.
Pittsburgh also let go of offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett, replacing him with an internal hire in Adrian Klemm. Defensive backs coach Tom Bradley was also let go, while tight ends coach James Daniel retired, and they were replaced by new outside hires, as were the quarterbacks coach and assistant offensive line coach jobs.
