ExtremeRavens Posted February 2 Posted February 2 The Ravens are pulling from the college ranks to fill a hole on their coaching staff. Baltimore is hiring Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci as its linebackers coach, the NFL Network reported Saturday. He replaces Mark DeLeone, who was reportedly let go last week in the the first change to coach John Harbaugh’s staff this offseason. Santucci, 36, joined the Georgia Tech staff last year as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach after being the defensive coordinator at Duke and co-defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. He immediately helped improve the Yellow Jackets’ defense, which rose from 74th to 58th in ESPN’s SP+ efficiency rankings and allowed roughly five fewer points and 100 fewer yards per game compared with the previous season. Georgia Tech also went from 131st nationally in rushing defense in 2023 to 30th in 2024 and from 108th in third-down defense to 22nd. In his one season at Duke in 2023 under coach Mike Elko, the Blue Devils had the nation’s 16th-best scoring defense, allowing just 19 points per game. Santucci was a nominee for the 2023 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coach. A former All-American linebacker at Stony Brook and a Pennsylvania native, Santucci previously spent three seasons alongside Elko at Texas A&M, serving as linebackers coach from 2020 to 2022 and as co-defensive coordinator in 2022. He has also coached linebackers at Wake Forest (2019) and Texas State (2016), served as a defensive analyst at Notre Dame (2017) and Texas A&M (2018), spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Wake Forest (2014-15) and four seasons on the staff at his alma mater, Stony Brook (2010-11). Santucci reportedly turned down several coaching opportunities at power conference programs this offseason before being lured away by the Ravens. He’ll inherit a group of linebackers led by three-time All-Pro Roquan Smith, but questionable depth behind him. Former third-round draft pick Trenton Simpson was benched midway through his second season and replaced by the veteran duo of Malik Harrison and Chris Board, who are both entering free agency. The Santucci hire is the Ravens’ second this offseason after former Baltimore defensive coordinator and Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano joined the staff as a senior secondary coach. Former Ravens assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt, who had been with the Ravens since 2012 before being let go this week, was reportedly hired Saturday by the Colts as their secondary coach and pass game coordinator. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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