The Ravens’ defense improved down the stretch last season, but the secondary left much to be desired. To improve defense, Baltimore hires a defensive guru, Chuck Pagano, as senior secondary coach.
Pagano has been a weekly guest on the Pat McAfee show for the past couple of years. On Wednesday, he gave some insight into his return to coaching. Pagano says he’s always “thought about getting back” into coaching.
“I’ve always thought about getting back into coaching..
It’s always been in the back of my mind it just had to be the perfect situation..
They’ve got a great staff in Baltimore and they have a phenomenal roster” ~ @ChuckPaganoNFL #PMSLive #RavensFlock https://t.co/FYiDHRZMHk pic.twitter.com/VJzj5pbLtR
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 29, 2025
Pagano told McAfee that the job offer from John Harbaugh came out of nowhere.
“I’ve always stayed in touch with John Harbaugh and we’ve always been very close..
We talked a lot of ball yesterday and the job offer really came out of nowhere..
I’m very grateful for the opportunity and Baltimore is a special place” ~ @ChuckPaganoNFL #PMSLive https://t.co/oIcuzxLxjP pic.twitter.com/dHyM4jneDo
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 29, 2025
“Chuck brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and coaching talent to our team,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “He has deep ties to the program and is excited to get to work.”
Last season, defensive coordinator Zach Orr had Dean Pees return to the franchise as a senior advisor in October, which helped turn around the Baltimore defense midway through the season.
In 2011, Pagano became the defensive coordinator for the Ravens, who ranked No. 3 in yards allowed and points allowed that season. Pagano parlayed that success into the Colts’ head coach from 2012 to 2017, compiling a 56-46 (.549) record, including the playoffs. He then was the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator for two seasons before announcing his retirement in July 2021, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
