OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Head coach John Harbaugh says he won’t be making any changes to his 2016 coaching staff, but he will be losing a key defensive assistant.
Linebackers coach Ted Monachino has been hired as the new defensive coordinator in Indianapolis, joining friend and former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. The Colts fired defensive coordinator Greg Manusky earlier this week, and Monachino immediately emerged as the top candidate to replace him.
Having coached the Baltimore outside linebackers since 2010, Monachino is extremely close with six-time Pro Bowl selection Terrell Suggs and served as his defensive line coach at Arizona State.
“That’s a great opportunity for him,” Harbaugh said. “It speaks to the quality of the guys that we have.”
Some had thought Monachino might be the eventual successor to defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who will return despite the Ravens finishing 24th in the NFL in points allowed and shattering the franchise record for fewest takeaways in a season with only 14. First-year defensive backs coach Chris Hewitt will also return after drawing criticism as Baltimore allowed 30 touchdown passes and collected a league-worst six interceptions, both franchise worsts.
Many fans and media had wondered if Pees’ job might be in jeopardy, but Harbaugh expressed confidence in his entire coaching staff while acknowledging they will make adjustments in schemes and other processes this offseason. With Pees and offensive coordinator Marc Trestman both set to return, the Ravens will begin consecutive seasons with the same coordinators for the first time since 2009 and 2010 with Greg Mattison and Cam Cameron.
“I know what kind of coach Dean Pees is,” Harbaugh said. “I look at the season and the improvements that we made — especially in the back end — throughout the course of the season, and that’s what you look for. You’re going to face struggles and trials, and things don’t always play out the way you want them to.”
The Baltimore defense improved substantially in the second half of the season after ranking 25th in total defense through the first eight weeks. The Ravens finished eighth in the league in total defense — they also finished in the same spot in 2014 — and were second in yards allowed over their final eight games.
Harbaugh hopes that second-half improvement will carry over to 2016.
“We were up and down and inconsistent throughout the first eight games of the season, for sure,” Harbaugh said. “We went to battle and went to work to correct those things and found a way to correct most of them throughout the course of the season.
“We still have plenty of work to do, but I trust Dean. I know he’s a very good coach and all those guys — I know they’re good coaches. You work side by side with a bunch of guys through a season like this, you find out what they’re made of, and I like our guys.”
