ExtremeRavens Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 The Ravens didn’t wait long to find their replacement for Mike Macdonald. Baltimore announced Thursday that Zach Orr will take over as defensive coordinator. The 31-year-old spent the past two seasons as the team’s inside linebackers coach after serving as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ outside linebackers coach in 2021. The news comes a day after the Seattle Seahawks announced that Macdonald would be its new head coach. Orr, meanwhile, is a familiar face, and like Macdonald, has been on the fast track in his coaching career. After spending three seasons as a Ravens linebacker, Orr retired in 2016 because of a congenital neck/spine condition. He moved into coaching in 2017 and began with Baltimore as a defensive coaching analyst and was promoted to coaching and personnel assistant before leaving for the Jaguars in 2021. “Zach is a homegrown Raven in every way,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “His energy, intelligence, work ethic and strong communication skills have been on display since the day he joined our organization as a player in 2014. “From making our team as an undrafted rookie, to becoming an All-Pro linebacker, then later transitioning to an assistant coach who helped mentor multiple Pro Bowl defenders, Zach has excelled at every level of his football journey. “He knows our players and understands our standard as well as anyone. I’m confident that he is prepared to take on the challenge of continuing to develop our players and scheme as our next defensive coordinator.” This season under Orr, inside linebackers Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith had career years and became the only duo to post at least 130 tackles this season for a defense that led the league in sacks (60), takeaways (31) and points allowed per game (16.5). Smith was selected as an All-Pro for the second straight year as well as to the Pro Bowl, while Queen was selected to his first Pro Bowl this year. Over the past two seasons, the Ravens’ defense ranked in the top 10 in yards allowed per game (312.8), rushing yards allowed per game (100.8), passing yards allowed per game (212.1), points allowed per game (17.5), opponent third-down conversion percentage (35.7%), opponent red zone efficiency (43.8%) and takeaways (56). As a player, Orr signed with the Ravens as a 2014 undrafted rookie free agent from North Texas and played in 46 games over three seasons, racking up 163 tackles, one sack, eight tackles for loss, six passes defensed, three interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. A native of DeSoto, Texas, Orr’s father, Terry, was a tight end for the now-Washington Commanders (from 1986 to 1993), while his younger brother, Chris, is a former linebacker who played for the Carolina Panthers in 2020. His older brother, Terrance, is the offensive coordinator at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas, and his younger brother, Nick, played college football at TCU and spent time with the Chicago Bears in 2018. This story might be updated. View the full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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