The Ravens have hired Mike Mickens to be their pass game coordinator/secondary coach, a huge get for new Head Coach Jesse Minter's growing staff.
Mickens, 38, spent the past six seasons with Notre Dame, helping to build one of the nation's best secondaries. The Fighting Irish ranked third in the nation in pass defense in 2023 and fourth in 2024.
"Even as a relatively young coach, Mike is one of the best coaches I have been around," Minter stated. "He is an elite communicator whose competitive spirit and relationship building will push our secondary to outstanding levels."
Mickens overlapped with Minter twice previously, including once as a player at Cincinnati. Minter was a graduate assistant for Mickens' final two collegiate seasons. Minter then reunited with Mickens as a coach at Indiana State in 2012, when Minter was the defensive coordinator and Mickens was a defensive assistant.
Mickens also previously worked with Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton for two years while in South Bend. Mickens was coaching Notre Dame's cornerbacks, but surely also worked with the versatile Hamilton.
Mickens helped develop multiple other standout defensive backs, including cornerback Sauce Gardner at Cincinnati, and cornerback Benjamin Morrison, safety Xavier Watts, and cornerback Leonard Moore at Notre Dame.
A cornerback himself, Mickens left Cincinnati as the school's career leader in interceptions (14) and interception return yards (296). A knee injury suffered in his senior season changed his trajectory. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round in 2009 and his playing days ended with the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders in 2010.
The Ravens had four first-round picks starting in their secondary last year (Hamilton, safety Malaki Starks and cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey) but surrendered the second-most passing yards in the league for a second straight season. With Minter and Mickens, the Ravens hope to turn around their secondary.
