John Harbaugh raves about Todd Monken's coaching ability with Ravens

After four seasons of Greg Roman being their offensive coordinator, the Baltimore Ravens made a switch this offseason, hiring University of Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their play-caller. Monken has spent the last three seasons as Georgia’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, helping lead one of the most efficient offensive attacks in the country that has two back-to-back national championships to show for it.

There’s no denying his success at the college level as of late, but will Monken’s scheme translate to the Ravens’ offense? Head coach John Harbaugh believes so, giving his new OC some lofty praise in a recent press conference.

“Man, there’s nothing like the real thing, right? Seeing Todd in real life is even better than reports I would say,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a very good teacher. He does it in a very energetic kind of way, the way that we love to see around here.”

Monken may be known most for his recent work with Georgia’s offense, but he does bring a fair share of NFL coaching experience to the table with stops with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an offensive coordinator before his recent stint in Athens. He brings over 30 years of coaching experience with him to Baltimore, and its clearly showing in just his short amount of time spent with the team.

“He’s just very relatable. He’s also a very detailed coach — especially in the passing game — but not just that: the protection, the run game, the quarterback reads, everything. He’s very involved, very hands-on. Our coaches over the years have all been like that,” Harbaugh explained.

Monken inherits one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the league with former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, the dazzling dual-threat quarterback whose been the engine of Baltimore’s offense predominantly behind his rushing abilities.

Jackson previously joked that he would now throw for 6,000 yards under Monken’s new offense, which also features new weapons at wide receiver like Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie first-round draft pick Zay Flowers. Pair that with one of the most reliable targets at the tight end position in Mark Andrews, a stable of running backs, and Monken’s offensive acumen and the Ravens could have one of the most explosive offenses in the entire league this upcoming season.

“Todd is unique in his way of doing it. You guys get a chance to see it. How can I describe it? You guys just watch it. What you see out there is what he is all the time. That’s his personality. It’s a great way to reach guys,” Harbaugh said.