Owings Mills, Maryland – The surprisingly hired Baltimore Ravens hired former head of the Indianapolis Colts, Pagano Chuck, as their senior secondary coach on Tuesday in an effort to improve their defense of inconsistent pass.
Pagano, 64, leaves a four -year retirement to return to Baltimore, where he served as a defensive coordinator in 2011. He will seek to help a defense of the Ravens that allowed 237.4 yards NFL
“Chuck brings a lot of knowledge, experience and training talent to our team,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh, in a statement. “He has deep links with the program and is excited to get to work.”
The return of Pagano to Baltimore really began with a call to Harbaugh about another coach. Last week, Pagano contacted a possible candidate for Harbaugh’s defensive staff. Then, Harbaugh asked Pagano if he wanted to train again, which led to a zoom call on Tuesday.
“[The job offer] He really got out of nowhere, “Pagano said in” The Pat McAfee show “Wednesday.” Very grateful that John gave me this opportunity. “
This is not the first time that Harbaugh attracted a former defensive retirement coordinator. He brought back to Dean Pees as the main advisor in October, which helped change Baltimore’s defense in the middle of the season.
Harbough said last week that Pees would not return to a full -time role, but would continue to be a consultant.
The last meeting of the Ravens is with Pagano, who was the secondary coach of Harbaugh’s first coaching staff in Baltimore in 2008. Three years later, Pagano became the defensive coordinator of the Ravens, who held the number 3 in Yardas and Points allowed in 2011.
After a season as a defensive coordinator of Baltimore, Pagano was the coach of the Colts from 2012 to 2017, compiling a 56-46 record (.549), including the playoffs. Then he was the defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears for two seasons before announcing his retirement in July 2021, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Pagano said he thought about training the day he retired.
“He has always been at the bottom of my mind,” Pagano said Wednesday. “It had to be the perfect situation. I am very, very familiar with that organization. That had a lot to do with that. The paper is absolutely perfect.”
Now, Pagano is back in Baltimore, where he can help Zach Orr, the second year defensive coordinator of the Ravens. The Ravens allowed 4,150 yards to pass in 2024, which marked the second time in their history that gave more than 4,000 yards in a single season.
Giving up large plays in the air was an important problem for the defense of the Ravens. Baltimore also allowed 58 terminations of 20 yards or more, which was the third most in the NFL and the second one for the Ravens since 2000.
Pagano will supervise a talented secondary of the Ravens, which includes two Pro Bowl players in the security Kyle Hamilton and corner Marlon Humphrey, as well as the corner Nate Wiggins, a first round of 2024. The only starter that is an agent Free without restrictions is corner Brandon Stephens.