The Baltimore Ravens made a change at inside linebackers coach this offseason, moving on from Mark DeLeone after just one season. Baltimore's linebacking corps had its ups and downs in 2024, but the struggles of second-year linebacker Trenton Simpson were particularly frustrating.
He was supposed to step up after Patrick Queen's departure in free agency, but instead, he struggled before eventually being replaced by fifth-year veteran Malik Harrison. Even seventh-year veteran Chris Board saw more playing time than Simpson. No offense to Harrison or Board, but that wasn’t the plan.
The Ravens needed someone who could help get the most out of Simpson and solidify the linebacker group as a whole. Enter Tyler Santucci.
Santucci is a young, high-energy coach who will now oversee the inside linebackers group, per Ian Rapoport. The team is bringing him in from Georgia Tech, where he served as defensive coordinator. This marks his first job in the NFL, but don’t let that fool you. The guy has a strong track record of developing tough, disciplined defenses.
The #Ravens are hiring Georgia Tech DC Tyler Santucci as their new LBs coach, source says.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 1, 2025
Santucci has been a successful DC at Duke and Georgia Tech and received interest from NFL teams in the past. Now, he lands in Baltimore.
Baltimore’s coaching staff—especially the defensive side of the ball—is already loaded with experience, but injecting fresh minds into the mix is never a bad thing. Santucci’s specialty? Linebackers. He's been coaching the unit for years. With his aggressive approach and emphasis on fundamentals, he could be exactly what the Ravens' inside linebackers need to take the next step.
Tyler Santucci can get the most out of Ravens' ILBs
Santucci’s resume speaks for itself. He helped turn around Georgia Tech’s defense in just one season, improving their run defense from one of the worst in the country to a top-30 unit. Before that, he was the defensive coordinator at Duke, where his defense led the ACC in scoring defense, allowing just 19 points per game.
Tyler Santucci:
— Ravens Nation 𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙀 (@LIVERavenNation) February 1, 2025
🔹Georgia Tech: Took defense from last to 5th in the ACC.
🔹Duke: Led the ACC’s top scoring defense and earned a Broyles Award nomination.
🔹Texas A&M: Oversaw the nation’s No. 1 pass defense in 2022.
🔹 Coached in 6 bowl games, including the Orange Bowl. pic.twitter.com/BLgvoFODd2
He’s also worked with some of the brightest defensive minds in college football, including Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko, a highly respected defensive strategist. Learning from Elko at Texas A&M and Duke helped Santucci develop an aggressive, disciplined coaching style that should translate well to the NFL. He’s been molding linebackers for years, and now he’ll get to work with one of the best in football, Roquan Smith, alongside up-and-coming star, Trenton Simpson.
Smith is already an All-Pro, but Simpson is just scratching the surface of his potential. That’s where Santucci comes in. If he can help refine Simpson’s instincts and technique, the Ravens could have another dominant linebacker tandem on their hands. Given his history of developing players, there’s every reason to believe he can make an immediate impact.
The Ravens went young last year with an inexperienced defensive coordinator in Zach Orr. The defense struggled mightily until a Week 11 turnaround had them playing the best defensive ball in the league. The hope is Santucci can come in and add to this impressive core of defensive masterminds to build the most terrifying unit for opposing offenses. He’s young, hungry, and stepping into a great situation. Time will tell if he was the right guy for the job or not.