The Ravens announced offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris died early Sunday morning at the age of 70.
The revered assistant had been hospitalized with what the organization described as “an acute illness” two weeks ago. Head coach John Harbaugh said at the time that D’Alessandris underwent surgery earlier this summer, but complications stemming from that procedure had prompted his hospitalization and what was expected to be an extended leave of absence from the team.
Baltimore’s offensive line coach since 2017, D’Alessandris had worked in the NFL since 2008 — previously spending time with Kansas City, Buffalo, and the San Diego Chargers — after beginning his coaching career at the collegiate level in 1977. Though a demanding coach, D’Alessandris was widely regarded as a warm man who cared deeply for his players off the field and always had a kind word for anyone he encountered at the team’s Owings Mills training facility.
There are a few special people that go beyond the call of ‘coach’ and impact your life the way Joe D did for me. Him and I quickly bonded over being born in Pittsburgh and our time at Duke. He coached with the values he learned from working in the paper mills of toughness, hard… pic.twitter.com/B5QASMO1eu— Matt Skura (@mskura62) August 25, 2024
“Coach ‘Joe D’ was a man of integrity and a man of faith. He made us all better,” Harbaugh said in a statement released by the Ravens. “He was our reader at team mass, and he was loved by all here. He was a great coach and a good man — the kind of person who you are honored to have as a friend.”
D’Alessandris lost his wife of 42 years, Toni, to a rare form of Parkinson’s disease in 2022 and is survived by three daughters and five grandchildren.
Despite the Ravens not investing a ton of early-round draft capital on the offensive line for much of D’Alessandris’ tenure, his offensive lines typically ranked in the top half of the league or better, according to various analytics rankings. Marshal Yanda, Ronnie Stanley, Orlando Brown Jr., Kevin Zeitler, and Tyler Linderbaum each made at least one Pro Bowl under his tutelage while less heralded young linemen such as Bradley Bozeman, Matt Skura, and Patrick Mekari developed into starting-caliber players.
“Joe D was a rock, a great coach, and a better person,” general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “He cared about the team deeply, exhibiting a relentless passion to excel while displaying genuine love for his players. I especially treasure my conversations with him talking about football and life.
“I will always remember standing back with Joe on the practice field and watching him up close with his players. Coach was the consummate teacher and friend, and I will miss him deeply. Our thoughts and prayers go to Joe’s daughters and family and everyone touched by Joe’s remarkable spirit.”
On Aug. 14, the Ravens announced the hiring of longtime NFL offensive line coach George Warhop to fill in for D’Alessandris after his hospitalization. The 62-year-old most recently coached for the Houston Texans in 2022 and served as an offensive line coach for eight NFL teams before arriving in Baltimore.
