Report: Ravens Parting Ways with Linebackers Coach Rob Ryan

According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, the Baltimore Ravens are parting ways with linebackers coach Rob Ryan.

Other sources have yet to confirm, but The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec said Ryan’s leave was the “expectation after Martindale was let go.”

Ryan was hired by the Ravens back in January after then-Ravens linebackers coach Mike Macdonald departed to become the Michigan Wolverine’s Defensive Coordinator. Now, with Macdonald back as the Ravens’ Defensive Coordinator and former Defensive Coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale out, the team has opted to go in a different direction.

Ryan, by all accounts, seemed dedicated to the job of getting young linebackers Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison up to speed and proficient. On the sidelines of practice you could often hear Ryan over just about every coach telling his players to, “Go be violent today!” He was also rather entertaining at the podium, as noted by my post-practice notes from training camp back in August: “Honestly, the best press conference I’ve had the pleasure of attending. It somehow managed to top Steve Smith Sr. doing his best to light the microphone on fire with a rant which ended with calling the media a bunch of jackasses. Seriously, Ryan was the Lamar Jackson of press conferences.”

After hiring a young defensive coordinator, it’ll be interesting who Head Coach John Harbaugh and Macdonald bring in to replace Ryan and what approach they will take for the rather talented crop of linebackers on the Ravens’ roster.