Mattison Learns To Step Back
Jun 19, 2010, 2:30PM
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Greg Mattison was so concerend about making sure the Ravens defense maintained its legacy in his first season as defensive coordinator that he wanted to do it all.
So Mattison kept his duties as outside linebackers/defensive ends coach along with taking on the coordinator tasks after Rex Ryan left.
Now in his second season atop Baltimore’s storied defense, Mattison wants his unit to take a step forward. But in order to do that, Mattison has learned to take a step back.
Mattison has handed over his positional coaching this offseason to focus solely on being the Ravens’ defensive coordinator. The fact that he couldn’t do it all was the lesson that most stuck with Mattsion after his first year.
“The big thing is you don’t want to not let this defense not be successful,” Mattison said. “That’s always driving at me. In the second year you’re doing the same things and it’s all more natural.
“It was just me not wanting to give up that on-the-field coaching.”
Mattison spent more than 30 years as a positional coach at nine different colleges. Many years he doubled as defensive coordinator and defensive line coach as he did at the University of Florida when the Gators won the 2006 NCAA championship.
Therefore, Mattison lobbied to continue doubling his work when Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh brought him to Baltimore.
“I just didn’t want to give up that part of it,” Mattison said. “I loved coaching players. My whole goal has always been to see how good I can get a player to play. So your energies are always going to that position.”
Harbaugh and Mattison discussed dropping the positional duties early this offseason and when well-regarded coaches Ted Monachino and Dean Pees became available, it made the decision easier.
Now Mattison says his toughest task is to stop himself from sliding into his old ways and jumping into the middle of drills.
He is free to walk around practice and check on each segment of the defense. Instead of focussing on his position and “assuming everyone else was on the same page,” he can now make sure the defense is working cohesively.
“It allows our defense to have one guy up in front and his whole job is to coordinate the defense,” Mattison said. “I think it’s made it all a lot easier."
