Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced Wednesday that Tee Martin has been named quarterbacks coach and Willie Taggart has been hired as the team's running backs coach. Harbaugh also noted that the Ravens are continuing the process of completing their coaching staff.
"We are excited to welcome Willie to the Ravens as our running backs coach," Harbaugh stated. "Willie has been a highly successful and respected college assistant and head coach. He has a proven track record for developing players as a position coach, as an offensive coordinator and as a head coach. A leader and a highly effective motivator, Willie's reputation for building strong relationships with his players and fellow coaches will serve our offense well moving forward."
Continued Harbaugh on Martin: "I am excited for Tee to take on the responsibility of being our quarterbacks coach. Tee has coached every aspect of the passing game and has played and coached the quarterback position at the highest levels. A dynamic and dedicated coach, he is a high-character individual who is uniquely qualified to build upon the foundation and success of our quarterbacks."
Additionally, the organization and Steve Saunders have parted ways. Scott Elliott has been named the team's strength and conditioning coordinator, while Anthony Watson, Ron Shrift and Kaelyn Buskey also remain on-staff and will serve as strength and conditioning coaches.
"I want to thank Steve for his effort, expertise and contributions to our Ravens teams over the past seven years," Harbaugh stated. "He is one of the finest strength and conditioning coaches in the business. His methods, passion and commitment are well proven throughout his career. Steve helped our players be the strongest and best conditioned athletes they could be. He is an outstanding coach, father, husband and friend. We wish him and his family all the very best going forward with their pursuits."
Tee Martin – Quarterbacks Coach
Martin, 44, enters his third season with the Ravens, having previously served as the team's wide receivers coach (2021-22). In 2021, Martin helped WR Marquise Brown (1,008), along with TE Mark Andrews (1,361), become just the second Ravens tandem to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season, joining WR Michael Jackson (1,201) and WR Derrick Alexander (1,099) in 1996.
Prior to joining the Ravens, Martin spent 15 years coaching primarily in the collegiate ranks, where he most recently led the wide receivers and also served as passing game coordinator and assistant head coach for two years (2019-20) at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee.
A legendary Tennessee quarterback and 1998 national champion, Martin enjoyed a three-year NFL playing career and two seasons in the CFL, before joining the coaching ranks in 2006.
Willie Taggart – Running Backs Coach
Taggart, 46, is a 24-year coaching veteran at the collegiate level, holding head coach titles at five Division I programs (Florida Atlantic – 2020-22; Florida State – 2018-19; Oregon – 2017; South Florida – 2013-16; Western Kentucky – 2010-12).
Over his 13 seasons as a head coach, Taggart finished with a 71-80 combined record, guiding Florida Atlantic to the 2020 Montgomery Bowl and South Florida to the 2015 Miami Beach Bowl. In 2016, Taggart led a 10-2 South Florida team that finished the season ranked (No. 19) for the first time in school history.
Prior to his first head-coaching job at Western Kentucky, Taggart served as Stanford's running backs coach (2007-09) and held various titles as an offensive assistant at his alma mater, Western Kentucky (1999-06). As an assistant with the Hilltoppers, he worked with quarterbacks and wide receivers, while adding responsibilities as assistant head coach (2003-06) and co-offensive coordinator (2001-02). In 2002, Taggart helped direct an offense that registered a school-record 432 points, 5,749 total yards and 263 first downs, culminating in a NCAA Division I-AA National Championship.
Taggart transitioned to coaching after an illustrious playing career that ranked among the best in Western Kentucky's history. Recruited by Jim Harbaugh to play for Jim's father, Jack, Taggart was the program's starting quarterback all four years (1995-98) and set 11 school records, highlighted by his 47 rushing touchdowns. He left the university holding the NCAA Division I record for rushing yards by a quarterback (3,997). In each of his last two collegiate seasons (1997-98), Taggart was a finalist for the prestigious Walter Payton Award – an annual honor awarded to the top offensive player in I-AA football. His jersey number was retired by Western Kentucky in 1999.
Taggart graduated from WKU with a bachelor's degree in social sciences in 1998. A Bradenton, Fla., native, Taggart produced a decorated prep career at Bradenton's Manatee High School, where he led the Hurricanes to a 5A state title as a junior and was a first-team All-State and All-Conference selection as a senior, after directing Manatee to the state championship game for a second-straight year.
Taggart and his wife, Taneshia, have two sons (Willie Jr. and Jackson) and one daughter (Morgan).
Scott Elliott – Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
Elliott, 38, recently completed his fourth season in Baltimore and second as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. In his new role with the Ravens, Elliott will oversee a strength and conditioning program that helps prepare players for the rigors of each NFL season. He originally joined the Ravens in 2019 as a coaching analyst – performance. Prior to working in Baltimore, Elliott was the owner of The Summit, a full-service fitness facility in Lawrence, Kan. Elliott graduated cum laude from Emporia State University, where he played basketball on scholarship, and from Immaculata (Leavenworth, Kan.) HS, where he was a four-year letterman in basketball and earned All-State honors and League MVP as a senior. He holds a Master of Exercise Science – with a concentration in performance enhancement and injury prevention – from Pennsylvania Western University. Scott and his wife, Danielle, married in 2021 in Greenport, Long Island, N.Y. The couple has one son, Von.
Anthony Watson – Strength and Conditioning Coach
Watson, 35, enters his fifth season with the Ravens after serving the past four years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach (2019-22). He originally joined the organization after spending several years working at Power Train Sports, a sports performance and fitness training facility in Pennsylvania. Watson attended Lycoming (Pa.) College, where he played basketball and finished his career tied for fourth in school history in 10-plus assist games. Born in Philadelphia, Pa., Watson attended Archbishop Carroll HS, where he was a four-year letterman in basketball and earned All-Catholic honorable mention honors as a senior. He and his wife, Chelsea, have two children: a son, Karter (9) and daughter, Kyah (4).
Ron Shrift – Strength and Conditioning Coach
Shrift, 33, recently finished his sixth NFL season – all with the Ravens – and previously served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. He originally joined the Ravens after spending several years working at Power Train Sports, a sports performance and fitness training facility in Pennsylvania. Shrift attended Juniata (Pa.) College, where he was the captain of the football team and a strength and conditioning All-American. While earning his master's degree in recreation and sport management from Florida International University, Shrift served as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach. He also holds a master's degree in exercise science, performance enhancement and injury prevention from California University of Pennsylvania. A member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Shrift became a certified strength and conditioning specialist in 2016. He and his wife, Kyra, married in 2021, and have a son, Luke.
Kaelyn Buskey – Strength and Conditioning Coach
Buskey was a strength and conditioning intern with the Ravens in 2022. She originally joined the team after spending several years working at Power Train Sports, a sports performance and training facility in Pennsylvania. Buskey graduated with a degree in interactive and graphic design in 2018 from Millersville (Pa.) University, where she also excelled at first and second base for the school's softball team. Her twin sister, Raeann, also played softball at Millersville. Buskey is a Mechanicsburg, Pa., native and prepped at Mechanicsburg's Cumberland Valley HS.
