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Brian Billick is in an elite group...There are 8 current NFL head coaches who have guided teams to Super Bowl championships: Billick, Bill Belichick, Bill Cowher, Joe Gibbs, Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, Bill Parcells, and Mike Shanahan...After guiding the Ravens to their 1st non-losing season (8-8) in 1999, his 1st as head coach, Billick led Baltimore to the playoffs, or the brink of the postseason tournament every year, except 2005...The Ravens won the Super Bowl championship in 2000, and came back to the playoffs in 2001 and in 2003...The team did not earn the postseason in 2002, when the Ravens fielded the youngest team in NFL history and fell a victory short in 2004 when key starters missed a total of 53 games.
"The challenge for all teams every season is to get to the playoffs and then find a way to win the Super Bowl," Billick says. "We did not make the playoffs the last 2 years. That hurts a lot. I take responsibility for it. It drives me - has driven me - to find ways to get us back to the postseason."
Billick became the Ravens' head coach in 1999 (Jan. 19) after the new franchise produced consecutive seasons of 4-12 (1996), 6-9-1 (1997) and 6-10 (1998) in its 1st 3 seasons...Brian quickly changed the course for the team, producing the 8-8 mark...In year 2 (2000), Billick and the Ravens produced a 12-4 regular season record, and then swept through the playoffs to the Super Bowl XXXV championship...In '01, with a spate of injuries to important contributors, his team battled to 10-6, earned a Wild Card berth and advanced to the Divisional Playoff round...After a dramatic salary cap cleansing, and with the youngest team in NFL history, the Ravens finished '02 with a 7-9 mark...In '03, with the 3rd-youngest team in the league, the Ravens won the AFC North with a 10-6 record...Baltimore was 9-7 in '04, falling 1 victory short of the playoffs, before dropping to 6-10 a year ago.
Under Billick, the Ravens have always been a team that featured an outstanding defense, an offense that ran the ball effectively, and special teams that were scrappy and effective...Reflecting his hard-nosed competitive zeal, his teams are noted for their physical, tough style, and they are well conditioned...Above all, Brian's teams are ready for the playoff runs of November and December...Only New England (38-18), Indianapolis (40-19) and Philadelphia (38-19) have better records over the season's last 2 months than Billick's Ravens (36-21). (Records are from 1999, Brian's 1st season in Baltimore, through 2005.)
With 8 seasons, Billick is tied for 4th with the Eagles' Andy Reid for NFL head coaching seniority with the same team...Bill Cowher of the Steelers is 1st with 15 seasons, the Titans' Jeff Fisher is 2nd with 13, followed by the Broncos' Mike Shanahan with 12.
Billick, 52, has clearly demonstrated an ability to take NFL players to the highest levels of achievement...There's the Super Bowl victory following the 2000 season, along with his other successes in his 1st 7 seasons as head coach...And there are the numbers, both offensively and defensively...In 1998, Billick coordinated a Vikings' offense that scored the most points in NFL history (556); and the 2000 Ravens' defense set the NFL's 16-game standard for fewest points allowed (165)...(Prior to Billick's arrival in Baltimore in 1999, the Ravens' defense had been ranked no higher than 22nd in the league over the team's 1st 3 seasons...In each of coach Billick's 1st 3 years as the Ravens' head coach, Baltimore's defense ranked 2nd in the league...In 2003 and 2004, the defense finished 3rd and 6th-best in the NFL, respectively...In 2005, the Ravens' defense was 5th in the league.)
"Success in any sport at any level is based, on the largest part, on talent. Usually, the teams with the most talent win," Billick says. "But, I do believe coaching makes a difference. If I didn't, I'd find another challenge. I believe coaching and teaching are synonymous. We are teachers. We have a team of good teachers, and I do think we make a difference."
Already, 3 of Brian's Raven assistants have become NFL head coaches - Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis (Ravens defensive coordinator, 1996-2001), Jacksonville's Jack Del Rio (Ravens linebackers coach, 1999-2001) and San Francisco's Mike Nolan (Ravens defensive coordinator in 2003 and 2004 and receivers coach in 2002).
Spend enough time with coach Billick, and you're going to hear 2 words often: passion and accountability. "You have to have passion for the work you do to succeed. If a player doesn't like to study, practice or train, doesn't like the physicality of the game, he's going to have a very difficult time succeeding. Passion is a lubricant for success," Billick explains. "Accountability is obvious. You have to perform. Accountability is also a sign of respect for your team. It is a reflection of a team's integrity when individuals take responsibility for their actions."
Billick is 2nd to Joe Gibbs in consecutive playoff wins at the start of a career (5 to Gibbs' 6)...Billick, whose 7-year record entering the 2006 season is 67-52 (.563), became the 2nd head coach in Ravens history when he accepted a 6-year contract from then-owner Art Modell on Jan. 19, 1999...He has received 2 new contracts since then.
HERE'S A YEAR-BY-YEAR REVIEW OF THE RAVENS UNDER COACH BILLICK:
1999: The 8-8 Ravens produced the most victories in the franchise's 4 years, won the most consecutive games (4), the most road games (4), including the 1st victory at Pittsburgh, won 4 of the season's final 5 games, and finished with the best-ever Ravens' defense (2nd in the NFL).
2000: In his 2nd year as a head coach at any level, Billick directed the 2000 Ravens to the ultimate seasonal prize with a 34-7 Super Bowl XXXV victory over the New York Giants...Baltimore finished with a 16-4 record, blowing by opponents in the playoffs: 21-3 over Denver, 24-10 at Tennessee, and 16-3 at Oakland in the AFC Championship game...The Ravens finished 1st in 5 important league-wide defensive categories, including shutouts (4), points allowed per game (10.3), rushing yards allowed per game (60.6), rushing yards allowed per attempt (2.7), takeaways (49) and fumble recoveries (26)...The team's turnover ratio of +23 was also the NFL's best...Baltimore, with then-rookie RB Jamal Lewis gaining 1,364 yards, was the league's 5th-best rushing team and was 2nd in time of possession...K Matt Stover led the NFL with 35 field goals; Jermaine Lewis was 1st in punt returns (16.1-yard average) and P Kyle Richardson was 1st in the NFL with 35 punts inside-the-20.
The Ravens became the 4th Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl, following the '97 Broncos, the '80 Raiders and the '69 Chiefs...Brian's ability to keep the team unified and focused that October, when the Ravens did not score a TD (5 straight games) and suffered a 3-game losing streak, is notable.
2001: Ravens defended their title with passion, but fell short of the goal of winning consecutive Super Bowl championships when they dropped a 27-10 decision at Pittsburgh, 1 game short of the AFC Championship...The list of injuries started early in 2001...Billick's hope to combine a power running game with the accurate passing of Elvis Grbac never materialized. RB Jamal Lewis and RT Leon Searcy, the team's significant offseason free agent addition, suffered season-ending injuries in the 1st week of training camp...TE Todd Heap, the team's 2001 No. 1 draft choice, who was expected to team with Shannon Sharpe in 2-tight end sets, sustained a high ankle sprain in week 2, and never fully recovered...There were games when none of the team's season-opening defensive front 4 could play...In all, Ravens starters missed a total of 54 regular-season games due to injuries, tops among the NFL's 12 playoff teams...Despite these obstacles, the Ravens finished the regular season at 10-6, and humbled the Dolphins in Miami, 20-3, in a Wild Card showdown. "I was very proud of that team. Despite the injuries in the 1st week of camp, they hung tough all year," Billick says.
2002: Despite the success in his 1st 3 seasons in Baltimore, many NFL observers marvel at the job Billick did in 2002...After an unprecedented salary cap cleansing, and equipped with the youngest team in NFL history (19 rookies on the opening day roster), the Ravens finished 7-9...Without Ray Lewis (5 games played) and starting QB Chris Redman, who missed the final 9 games of the season with a back injury, Baltimore scratched and clawed its way to a 7-7 mark and had legitimate playoff aspirations before losing heartbreaking games to Cleveland and at Pittsburgh in the season's final 2 games.
2003: With the 3rd-youngest team in the league, Billick put the Ravens back in the playoffs for the 3rd time in 4 years...Baltimore led the NFL in rushing and finished 3rd in the league in defense when the Ravens won their 1st-ever division title with a 10-6 mark.
2004: Baltimore, still young - 3rd-youngest in the AFC and 7th in the NFL - finished 2nd in the AFC North with a 9-7 mark, falling 1 game short of the playoffs...The Ravens lost 53 games to important starters, including the entire season of OLB Peter Boulware, 10 games by TE Todd Heap, 7 by CB Deion Sanders, 4 each by RB Jamal Lewis and LT Jonathan Ogden and 7 by C Mike Flynn...At its healthiest, Baltimore gave the Steelers (15-1) their lone regular season loss (30-13) in week 2.
2005: The Ravens suffered through a 6-10 campaign after losing 7 of their 1st 9 games...Starting QB Kyle Boller was injured in the season opener and missed the next 7 games...He was soon joined on the sidelines by a pair of NFL Defensive Players of the Year: MLB Ray Lewis (10 missed games) and S Ed Reed (6)...In all, Baltimore lost 67 games to starters, 3rd most in the NFL...Highlight of the season was a 16-13 OT victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers.
HERE'S A REVIEW OF BRIAN'S COACHING CAREER PRIOR TO THE RAVENS:
1992-98 (with Minnesota): Was the architect of a Minnesota offense that in 1998 eclipsed the NFL record for most points scored in a season (556), breaking the old mark (541) set by the 1983 Washington Redskins...The '98 Vikings scored 53 of 56 times they were inside the 20...Minnesota tied for the NFL lead with 41 TD passes, shattering a team mark, and scored over 100 points in each quarter for the 1st time in team history...Minnesota ranked 2nd in the NFL (behind San Francisco) with a team-record 6,262 net yards, and was 1st in the league with 4,328 yards passing...Over his 5 full seasons as offensive coordinator, Billick guided the Vikings into the top 5 in the NFL in yards per game, passing yards per game, completions and 3rd-down conversions...Under Billick's guidance, the Vikings recorded their then top 3 offensive seasons (1998, 1995 and 1994), and 5 of the top 10 offensive campaigns in team history...Most importantly, the Vikings advanced to the playoffs all but 1 season (1995) during Billick's tenure...Minnesota played postseason games in 1992-94 and 1996-98.
HERE'S MORE FROM HIS VIKINGS TENURE:
Hired in 1992 by Dennis Green as the Vikings' TEs coach...Named offensive coordinator 3 games into the 1993 season; Vikings went from 264.8 yards per game over the 1st 6 weeks of the season to a 323.3-yard average over the final 10 games...In 1st full season as offensive coordinator in 1994, Vikings won the NFC Central, finishing 2nd in the NFL in passing yards (4,324)...In 1995, Vikings failed to qualify for the postseason, but the offense scored a then-team record 412 points and gained 5,938 yards. QB Warren Moon set a then-team mark with 33 TD passes (topped by Randall Cunningham's 34 in ?98)...1996 Vikes qualified for a Wild Card berth with a 9-7 mark when WR Cris Carter grabbed 96 passes, and Jake Reed placed 2nd in the NFL with 1,320 receiving yards.
1989-1991 (Stanford): Assistant under Dennis Green, coaching receivers and TEs.
1986-1988 (Utah State): Spent 3 seasons as offensive coordinator...When he arrived at Utah State, the team ranked 107th out of 108 NCAA Division 1-A teams offensively; in his final 2 seasons as coordinator, the Aggies ranked in the top 10 in total offense.
1981-85 (San Diego State): Coached receivers, TEs and QBs and was recruiting coordinator.
1979-80 (San Francisco 49ers): Assistant director of public relations.
1978 (Brigham Young): Graduate assistant who worked with TEs and offensive line.
1977 (University of the Redlands): Part-time assistant while also helping coach Redlands HS and working at a health club.
1977 (49ers and Dallas Cowboys): Drafted by the 49ers in the 11th round, was released and then signed the following offseason by the Cowboys, who waived him before the start of training camp.
COLLEGE, PERSONAL: Brian earned All-Western Athletic Conference honors and honorable mention All-America in 1976 as a TE at Brigham Young University...In 1976, he caught 20 passes for 338 yards and a TD...Brian played LB at Air Force as a freshman before transferring to BYU.
Since coming to Baltimore, Billick has enthusiastically helped improve the community...Billick gives extra time to the United Way of Central Maryland, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and especially to the Living Classrooms Foundation, where he serves on the board of directors...Brian has hosted important fundraisers for Living Classrooms, made a significant financial contribution, and has inspired many Ravens players to volunteer at this important educational facility...In April of 2002, Billick was the honorary chair for the American Lung Association's Breath of Life Celebration...Billick was picked as the Maryland Chapter of Multiple Sclerosis 2001 "Champion of the Year."...Brian's wife, Kim, joins him in many of these community works, especially at Living Classrooms...Brian hosts an annual clinic for Maryland and southern Pennsylvania high school football coaches.
Billick has co-authored 2 books: Competitive Leadership: Twelve Principles for Success with Dr. James A. Peterson and Finding the Winning Edge with NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh and Dr. Peterson...This last book is a blueprint for developing an NFL team, covering everything from practice schedules to front office structure...In May of 2005, Brian gave the commencement speech for the University of Maryland-Baltimore. Billick was born in Fairborn, OH on Feb. 28, 1954, but grew up in Redlands, CA...He is the 4th of 5 children...Billick earned 3 letters in both football and basketball at Redlands HS...At Redlands, Billick played QB and safety...He still holds the California prep record for career INTs with 21...Redlands retired his jersey number 17 in March, 2001, and put him in the school's Hall of Fame in the spring of 2004...Brian has helped the school raise funds for the athletic department...He was a Helms Scholar-Athlete as a senior...Brian earned a B.A. in communications from BYU, where he also pursued a master's in communications...Billick endows a scholarship at the communications college at BYU...He and Kim (who at one time was an assistant to NFL Hall of Famer Tex Schramm of the Dallas Cowboys) have 2 daughters: Aubree (22), who recently graduated from Northwestern University, and Keegan (17), a high school senior.
COACHING BACKGROUND: 1977 (Redlands); 1978 (Brigham Young); 1981-85 (San Diego State); 1986-88 (Utah State); 1989-91 (Stanford); 1992-98 (Minnesota Vikings); 1999-2006 (Baltimore Ravens-head coach) |
