The Big Lead

Ravens hire Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator to assist flailing defense

Dean Pees led the Ravens to a Super Bowl in his first season as Baltimore's DC in 2012, and will return to Charm City to assist his former linebacker, Zach Orr

By Javon Edmonds

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
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
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After an 0-2 start to the season, the Baltimore Ravens are riding a three-game winning streak and sit atop the AFC North. However, the defense, a staple of the Ravens since their inception, is one of the worst in the NFL.

Now, first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr is hiring 75-year-old Dean Pees as a senior advisor, Orr told The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec.

Pees served on head coach John Harbaugh's staff from 2010-17. After two years as inside linebackers coach, which is also where Orr comes from, Pees became defensive coordinator in 2012 and led the Ravens to their second Super Bowl in franchise history.

Now, as the Ravens rank 24th in red zone defense, 26th in scoring defense and 31st in passing defense, Pees is returning to Baltimore.

“If you get a guy I’m real close with and a guy who knows the culture and is a great football mind, and he’s down for it, to me, it’s a no-brainer,” Orr said. “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.”

Baltimore had one of its best defenses ever last season under Mike McDonald, and was ultimately wasted after holding the prolific Kansas City Chiefs to just 17 points in the 2023 AFC title game. In the offseasin, McDonald left to become the Seattle Seahawks' head coach.

The departures of McDonald's immediate successors made things worse for the Ravens. Anthony Weaver, Baltimore's assistant head coach and defensive line coach left to become defensive coordinator of a Miami Dolphins team that was embarrassed in Baltimore on New Year's Eve and lost Vic Fangio to the Philadelphia Eagles.

After Weaver in the line of succession was defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who left to become defensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans. Still, Harbaugh decided to stay in-house and promote Orr, a former All-Pro inside linebacker from the post-Ray Lewis era who had his career cut short by a neck injury.

Now, Orr will bring in his former playcaller from 2014-16 as the Ravens look to redeem themselves from an embarrassing showing in their first-ever home conference title game.

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