Ravens Bring Back Former Coach

The Baltimore Ravens are looking to the past for some help on defense.

Dec 31, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

After allowing nearly 400 passing yards to Cincinnati Bengals quarterabck Joe Burrow on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens' defense clearly needs some help moving forward. To find that help, the team is looking to the past.

According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the Ravens are hiring veteran defensive coordinator Dean Pees as an advisor. The 75-year-old coach will reportedly start this week.

Just spoke to Ravens DC Zach Orr, who said he's bringing on longtime NFL asst. and defensive coordinator Dean Pees in for a senior advisor role.
"He’s a guy who knows me as a person, knows the system, knows the culture here," Orr said. "He’s a Raven."
Pees will start this wk.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) October 9, 2024

"He’s a guy who knows me as a person, knows the system, knows the culture here," defensive coordinator Zach Orr said, per Zrebiec. "He’s a Raven."

Pees has 50 years of coaching experience under his belt, including 19 seasons in the NFL. Most notably, he spent eight years with the Ravens under head coach John Harbaugh, first as an inside linebackers coach (2010-2011) and then as defensive coordinator (2012-2017). Over his six years as defensive coordinator, the Ravens finished with a top 10 scoring defense three times (2014, 2016, 2017). He also helped Baltimore win Super Bowl 47 in his first year leading the defense.

Pees announced his retirement following the 2017 season, but just a month later, he joined the Tennessee Titans as their defensive coordinator. His most recent coaching gig was as the Atlanta Falcons' defensive coordinator in 2021-2022, and while his defense wasn't great statistically, he didn't exactly have much to work with.

The Ravens have a very young defensive snap, with new defensive coordinator Zach Orr being one of the youngest coordinators in the league at just 32 years old. As such, adding a more-experienced piece, especially one who knows the team well like Pees, makes complete sense.

"I stayed in contact with Dean throughout the season and I said, 'Hey, it would be good if you wanted to come up here and be an advisor, be another set of eyes, just be a help to us," Orr said. "Ultimately, all I care about is us performing the best we can to help us win."

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