Ravens hire D'Alessandris to coach offensive line

The Ravens have taken another step toward completing their coaching staff for the 2017 season.
On Thursday morning, head coach John Harbaugh announced the hiring of Joe D’Alessandris to coach the offensive line. He replaces Juan Castillo, who departed after four seasons last week to become Buffalo’s offensive line coach and run-game coordinator.
D’Alessandris is entering his 40th season in coaching and ninth in the NFL. This will mark the 38th season in which he has helped guide an offensive line.
“We had a number of very good, qualified candidates for this position, and we have the right fit with Joe,” said Harbaugh, who hired senior offensive assistant Greg Roman earlier this month to revamp the league’s 28th-ranked rushing attack. “He’s a hard-nosed, experienced coach, who is an excellent teacher. He’ll be able to work with our veterans to get the best out of them, and he’ll take our young linemen to higher levels.”
D’Alessandris last worked as the offensive line coach of the San Diego Chargers under former head coach Mike McCoy from 2013-2015. After spending the first 30 years of his career coaching at various colleges with two brief stints in the Canadian Football League, he was brought to the NFL by Chan Gailey, who initially hired D’Alessandris as his offensive line coach at Georgia Tech in 2002.
After spending two years as Kansas City’s assistant offensive line coach (2008-2009), D’Alessandris then served as Buffalo’s offensive line coach from 2010-2012.
In his first season with San Diego, the Chargers allowed the NFL’s fourth-fewest sacks and produced more than 100 rushing yards in 12 of 16 regular-season games. He was one of six coaches fired by McCoy at the end of the 2015 season.
“I feel very privileged and honored to come work with such a tremendous organization,” D’Alessandris said. “I very much look forward to the great opportunity of working for John Harbaugh and [general manager] Ozzie Newsome on an incredible staff.”
The Ravens have yet to officially fill their quarterbacks coach and secondary coach positions, but either of those jobs could still be addressed internally.
Below is a look at D’Alessandris’ coaching timeline: