According to Jamison Hensley on the Sun’s website Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is leaving to take the same position at the University of Michigan. Secondary coach Chuck Pagano has been promoted to take Mattison’s place. Pagano has been the Ravens secondary coach since 2008.
Many Ravens fans have campaigned for Mattison’s removal, despite the fact that he guided the Ravens to top 10 finishes in overall defensive rankings during his 2 seasons as the Ravens defensive coordinator. The top 10 finishes can be seen as a lowering of standards for defense in Baltimore, but you could also argue that Mattison has as little defensive talent to work with since the 2003 season. Critics felt Mattison was not as aggressive or as unpredictable as his predecessor, Rex Ryan. Declining sack and turnover totals would lend credence to that argument. In 2010 Mattison’s defense also struggled to protect 4th quarter leads despite it’s high overall ranking. The question that will likely go unanswered was whether Mattison made the move because he saw the writing on the wall that he would be replaced this off-season, or if he truly felt like he could not pass up the chance to try and restore a declining Michigan program.
Pagano is obviously familiar with the Ravens defensive personnel and is well respected by the players. He has not been a defensive coordinator since the early nineties, when he held the position at UNLV. An interesting note about Pagano is that he served as the secondary coach in Oakland before joining the Ravens. Could his relationship with soon to be released Raider’s CB Nnamdi Asomugha aid the Ravens should they pursue him in free agency?
What are your thoughts on Mattison leaving, or on the promotion of Pagano?
Good riddance…Any chance the Maize and Blue are looking for an Offensive Coordinator, too???
That said, I'm not sure how promoting the coach of the unit who made the biggest mistake of the playoffs makes us better going forward?
As long as the Stillers remain in our division, does it really matter who we have coaching?
You know what is so funny? Michigan fans are falling over themselves with joy over getting Mattison, though that has as much to do with his long history of college coordinating success as it does with his Ravens tenure. I am reading Ravens fans who are mostly ecstatic he is gone and Michigan fans who are equally ecstatic to have him.
All in all I think the Ravens won't do any worse with Pagano, he will be there just to not mess things up, like Mattison was when he was promoted in the first place.
My thoughts are that the opportunity came up for Mattison, who again will be working for a buddy, and the FO probably advised him to take a good, hard look at it. This isn't even a lateral move for Mattison.
I would say a lot depends on the money……
Mattison was never an NFL guy to begin with. He was probably doing a favor for his buddy Harbs to get his feet wet in the NFL. Mattison was a known quantity to Harbs and served as his blankie for his first three years. Now Mattison is going to where he wanted to be in the first place. The real story is how the Ravens don't bring in someone with a known skill set to manage the defense. Pagano, give me a break!
Might wanna brush up on Pagano before brushing his hiring aside.
I wish they would've hired him 2 years ago.
Pagano is a very aggressive caller according to fabian washington. expect the sack totals to go up. as a seconday coach, he knows the best defense against the pass, is getting a good pass rush. hands down