‘No sir’: Ravens asst. Pagano done with being HC

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Chuck Pagano made a clear distinction Thursday: He always wanted to return to coaching, but he never wants to be a head coach again.

Pagano, 64, ended his four-year retirement in late January, when he was hired as the Baltimore Ravens‘ senior secondary coach. After Thursday’s practice, Pagano insisted he is focused on his job in Baltimore and nothing else.

“No, sir,” he said when asked if he wants to be an NFL head coach again. “Nobody has any idea until you sit in that seat.”

Pagano was the Indianapolis Colts‘ head coach from 2012 to 2017, compiling a 56-46 record (.549), including the playoffs. In six seasons, he guided the Colts to two AFC South titles and three postseason berths, which included a loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game in 2014.

“Some of my fondest memories and coaching moments were the first time I was here [in Baltimore] and just being a secondary coach,” Pagano said. “[As a head coach], you get pulled away from what you love doing and that’s coaching the game. You got so many other things going. … But no, I’m good. I’ve had enough of [head coaching].”

Pagano’s return to Baltimore started with a call to John Harbaugh about another coach. In January, Pagano reached out about a possible candidate for Harbaugh’s defensive staff. Then, Harbaugh asked Pagano whether he wanted to coach again, which led to a video call and a reunion.

Pagano was the secondary coach on Harbaugh’s first coaching staff in Baltimore in 2008. Three years later, Pagano became the defensive coordinator for the Ravens, who ranked No. 3 in yards and points allowed in 2011.

On Thursday, Pagano considered it a no-brainer to return to the Ravens.

“This was just probably the only opportunity that would get me off the couch,” Pagano said. “A lot of my friends back home said, ‘Are you out of your mind? Why would you go back to the grind?’ You can’t replicate this. You can’t replicate the grind.”

Pagano thought about returning to coaching the day he retired.

“I never really stopped thinking about coaching and thinking about the game,” Pagano said. “My kids, my wife, my daughters — they don’t know any better — but they all thought I retired too young.”

Now, Pagano is back in Baltimore, where he can assist Zach Orr, the Ravens’ second-year defensive coordinator. The Ravens allowed 4,150 yards passing in 2024, which marked the second time in their history that they gave up over 4,000 yards passing in a season.

Pagano will oversee a talented secondary that includes two Pro Bowl players — safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Marlon Humphrey — and cornerback Nate Wiggins, a 2024 first-round pick.

Many players have already approached Pagano about what they could work on. He gave each a detailed response, according to Orr.

“He’s a DB expert,” Orr said. “He’s going to be great. I’m fired up about him.”