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It must quite a busy Tuesday morning around Ravens headquarters.
Just a couple hours after it was reported that Hue Jackson is leaving Baltimore to take the offensive coordinator position in Oakland, the Ravens announced that they've hired former Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees as their new linebackers coach.
The Ravens also announced that Vic Fangio, who was the team's linebackers coach in 2009, is no longer with the team. He has yet to announce his plans for the future.
Pees spent six years with the Patriots, four of which were as New England's defensive coordinator. As I mentioned yesterday, in those four seasons, Pees' defense finished in the top-11 in team defense all four years and also averaged less than 20 points per game allowed in every season.
"I've know Dean for 27 years, and he's our type of coach - energetic, hard-working and innovative," head coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. "He has worked with all three levels of defense - defensive line, linebackers and secondary. His experience and wealth of knowledge speak for themselves.
"Dean has also earned respect from his players and fellow coaches because he has been a coordinator. He'll help our linebackers complement the guys up front and in the back end. He'll fit in with us well, and we're excited to get him."
Pees has his share of ties to the Maryland area and those within the Ravens organization.
He'll be reunited with Harbaugh, who he coached at Miami (OH) University, where Pees was a defensive coordinator and Harbaugh played defensive back.
"He was the one coach who thought I could play," Harbaugh said of Pees.
Pees also coached at the Naval Academy from 1987-'89, where he got to know Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who was the defensive line coach from '87-'88.
"It's a privilege and an honor to be a part of an organization like the Ravens," Pees said. "I'm very anxious and excited for the opportunity to work with Coach Harbaugh and also Greg Mattison, with whom I have coached. I think this is a tremendous opportunity and something that my family and I are very excited about. I can't wait to get to work."
On a side note, Harbaugh plans to name a quarterbacks coach to replace Jackson, but will not do so immediately.
