The Ravens’ defense improved down the stretch last season, but the secondary left much to be desired. To improve defense, Baltimore hires a defensive guru, Chuck Pagano, as senior secondary coach.

Pagano has been a weekly guest on the Pat McAfee show for the past couple of years. On Wednesday, he gave some insight into his return to coaching. Pagano says he’s always “thought about getting back” into coaching.

Pagano told McAfee that the job offer from John Harbaugh came out of nowhere.

“Chuck brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and coaching talent to our team,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “He has deep ties to the program and is excited to get to work.”

Last season, defensive coordinator Zach Orr had Dean Pees return to the franchise as a senior advisor in October, which helped turn around the Baltimore defense midway through the season.

In 2011, Pagano became the defensive coordinator for the Ravens, who ranked No. 3 in yards allowed and points allowed that season. Pagano parlayed that success into the Colts’ head coach from 2012 to 2017, compiling a 56-46 (.549) record, including the playoffs. He then was the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator for two seasons before announcing his retirement in July 2021, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.