ExtremeRavens Posted 19 hours ago Posted 19 hours ago The Ravens stepped outside the box of American football to hire the organization’s first health and performance coach. Dr. Nic Gill spent the past 18 years working with the New Zealand All Blacks, among the most famous rugby teams on the planet. He worked his way up from assistant strength coach to head of performance, and New Zealand Rugby interim CEO Steve Lancaster credited Gill for the All Blacks being “at the forefront of athlete performance.” View this post on Instagram Gill first joined the All Blacks for a season in 2004 as assistant strength and conditioning coach. He also worked with the Junior All Blacks from 2005 to 2007, and the Chiefs Super Rugby team from 2004 to 2008, before returning to lead the All Blacks strength and conditioning program in 2008. Gill will bring that expertise to Baltimore. “As an expert in high performance, Gilly’s ability to lead an integrated and collaborative staff and to develop strong lasting relationships with players makes him an ideal fit for this newly-created role,” general manager Eric DeCosta wrote in a team statement. “The health and performance of our players is paramount.” Gill has a PhD in exercise physiology and he’s an associate professor in human performance at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand. There, according to the team site, he has supervised applied research in sports science and athlete development. He’s written a book, coached record-breaking rowers Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, and worked closely with New Zealand’s track cycling endurance team leading up to the 2016 Rio Olympics. “I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my career, and I don’t take a move like this lightly,” Dr. Gill wrote in a statement. “The Ravens felt right, straight away — the people, the standards and the way they care about their players. I’m excited to get to work, build real relationships and help guys stay healthy, available and playing their best football.” The Ravens could certainly use his help. Five weeks into this past season, Baltimore’s injury woes hit a nadir, showing as many as 14 players on the mid-week injury report. They played the Texans without seven regular starters, including quarterback Lamar Jackson. Five defensive players, most notably All-Pro Nnamdi Madubuike and rookie Teddye Buchanan, suffered season-ending injuries. There were plenty of reasons to fault Baltimore for its disappointing season but injuries were the most glaring. DeCosta sees this hire as a chance to spin the Ravens from a team battered by injuries to an “industry standard” in player in health. Gill’s addition was announced days removed from the 2026 NFL Players Association report cards revealing an overwhelming confidence in the facilities in Owings Mills. The team’s training room, weight room and strength coaches all received ‘A’ grades. “Coming from New Zealand to the NFL is a big move for my family and me, but it’s one we’re genuinely excited about,” Gill wrote in a statement. “The Ravens have a strong reputation for doing things the right way, and I’m grateful for the chance to bring my knowledge and experience here, learn from everyone around me and contribute to something special in Baltimore.” During his tenure in New Zealand, the All Blacks won two Rugby World Cups (2011 and 2015) and more than 170 matches. Their winning percentage at the international level over the last nearly two decades sits above .800. Former All Blacks captain Sam Cane called Gill “an invaluable part of the All Blacks group.” “Gilly knew when to push you and when to pull back and you always knew he had your best interests at heart,” Cane said in a team statement. “He wanted to help make you the best player you could be. Everyone had complete trust in him.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Sam appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. View the full article Quote
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