Tag: Sterling Lucas

Wish list to replace Texas co-defensive coordinator Jeff Choate

Texas’ linebacker coach position could be highly sought after among college defensive coaches.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is now hiring for a new linebacker’s coach and potential co-defensive coordinator alongside Pete Kwiatkowski. Given the talent present on the roster and the Longhorns’ involvement in the College Football Playoff, the role should be highly sought after in the coaching profession.

Texas fans want Gary Patterson after seeing how much the Texas defense improved with Patterson as a special assistant. The likelihood is, however, that Patterson is more interested in head coaching positions than roles underneath a defensive coordinator.

Other former big name head coaches have drawn the attention of fans on social media. Names like former Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops and former Texas head coach Charlie Strong have been brought up by Texas faithful. Albeit, Texas donors don’t want Stoops and understandable pride could keep Strong from taking an assistant role at Texas.

While we won’t rule out those moves, let’s look at a few more options Texas might turn to at linebacker’s coach and potential co-defensive coordinator.

Ravens assistant Zachary Orr to join Jags’ staff

The Jags will be adding Zachary Orr to their staff as a defensive assistant after he interviewed for them last Friday.

According to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, Baltimore Ravens assistant Zachary Orr will follow Joe Cullen and Sterling Lucas to the Jacksonville Jaguars organization. After interviewing with the team last week, Orr seemingly impressed Urban Meyer, and while his role hasn’t been revealed, it’s likely that he’ll end up being a linebackers coach.

Orr, 28, was a former linebacker for the Ravens but retired from the NFL in 2017 because of a congenital spine condition. Afterward, he got the opportunity to join his former team as a coaching analyst the same year.

Orr’s role under the Ravens was to shadow defensive coordinator Don Martindale and he also sat in on special teams meetings. His offseason duties included work on the personnel side like player evaluations.

Cullen became quite familiar with Orr as he had been their defensive line coach a year before Orr became an assistant. Cullen, Orr, and Lucas eventually were together on the Ravens’ defensive staff for four seasons.

Orr was a player for the Ravens for three seasons and accumulated 163 total tackles. They acquired him in 2014 as an undrafted free agent out of North Texas.

Ravens lose Zachary Orr, Sterling Lucas, Brian Duker as coaching exodus continues

The Baltimore Ravens continue to see the coaching staff poached as Zachary Orr, Brian Duker, and Sterling Lucas get hired elsewhere

The Baltimore Ravens might have a whole new coaching staff by next season if this continues. The Ravens have lost three more young coaches this offseason as the Detroit Lions have hired Brian Duker, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have hired Zachary Orr and Sterling Lucas away from Baltimore, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Athletic.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have clearly been looking at the Ravens’ staff, hiring away three of the seven coaches that have left Baltimore this offseason. Orr and Lucas will join former Ravens defensive line coach Joe Cullen, who was hired to be the Jaguars’ new defensive coordinator. Orr and Duker had been defensive coaching analysts while Lucas was the team’s defensive assistant.

Puzzlingly, while teams have poached six of Baltimore’s defensive coaches away, defensive coordinator Don Martindale hasn’t gotten an interview for a head coaching position this offseason. While Martindale was in the running for the Giants’ head coaching job last season, New York decided to go in a different direction, hiring Joe Judge. But with the Ravens’ defense once again performing well this season — finishing second in points allowed and seventh in yards allowed — despite an injury- and COVID-19-ravaged depth chart, it’s shocking Martindale wasn’t interviewed at all while so many of his assistant coaches have been hired away.

For a team that has preached about coaching continuity under coach John Harbaugh, there has been a massive amount of turnover this offseason. He’ll have a tough task of finding even more replacements for his staff while the team prepares for free agency and the 2021 NFL draft.

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Report: Jags bringing in Ravens defensive assistant Sterling Lucas with Joe Cullen

The Jags will be taking another Ravens assistant coach in with Joe Cullen, per Jeff Zrebiec.

Many Jacksonville Jaguars fans and former players of the team were pumped about the pending addition of Baltimore Ravens assistant Joe Cullen, who will be joining the team to be their defensive coordinator. However, on Saturday morning it was announced that he won’t be the lone addition from the Ravens’ staff as defensive assistant Sterling Lucas is coming to Jacksonville, too.

Lucas started his career with the Ravens during the same year as Cullen (2016). He began his time in Baltimore as a strength and conditioning assistant and also helped the defensive staff, too. In 2017, Lucas served as an administrative assistant for the defense, aiding the Ravens in a season where they led the NFL in picks (22), takeaways (34), and shutouts (three).

In 2018 Lucas was promoted to a defensive quality control role. In 2020, he received another promotion and became the Ravens’ assistant defensive line coach.

Lucas’ pending role on the team is not clear at the moment, but Jags coach Urban Meyer will likely make his staff official in the coming days. What is known is that Lucas and the Jags’ defensive staff will have a lot of work to do as the unit finished the season 31st overall and 30th against the rush.

Ravens make coaching changes on defense, special teams

The Baltimore Ravens altered titles for a handful of their coaches on defense and special teams, helping to refocus some on specific roles

The Baltimore Ravens aren’t just focusing on the 2020 NFL Draft and free agency, they’re looking within to improve. While the NFL combine kicks off, the Ravens changed around some of their coach’s titles.

Per the team’s website, they’ve changed the titles given to six coaches, both on defense and special teams.

  • Chris Horton – special teams coordinator (formerly special teams coach)
  • Randy Brown – special teams coach (formerly assistant special teams coach)
  • Chris Hewitt – pass defense coordinator (formerly defensive backs coach)
  • Sterling Lucas – defensive assistant/defensive line (formerly defensive assistant/linebackers)
  • Jesse Minter – defensive backs coach (formerly assistant defense backs coach)
  • Drew Wilkins – outside linebackers coach (formerly assistant defensive line & OLBs coach)

For Horton and Brown, it doesn’t seem to be changing their actual roles, just consolidating the hierarchy on special teams after former coordinator Jerry Rosburg retired prior to last season.

However, on defense, there appears to be some refining in the roles under defensive coordinator Don Martindale following his new contract. Wilkins is now in charge of the outside linebackers solely. Minter gets a bump up to defensive backs coach, the role vacated by Hewitt, who will now be in charge of the entire pass defense. Lucas will switch his focus from linebackers to the defensive line.

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