Ravens promote Orr to DC as Macdonald's replacement

The Baltimore Ravens named Zach Orr their new defensive coordinator on Thursday.

Orr spent the last two seasons as Baltimore's inside linebackers coach and will now replace Mike Macdonald, who left to become the Seattle Seahawks' head coach on Wednesday.

Orr, 31, was part of Macdonald's impressive coaching staff that helped build football's top-ranked defense last year. The 2023 Ravens became the first team in NFL history to top the league in sacks, points allowed, and takeaways in the same season. Baltimore particularly stood out at linebacker, with Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen earning first- and second-team All-Pro nods, respectively.

John Harbaugh's outfit finished the regular season as the AFC's No. 1 seed with a 13-4 record but fell short against the Kansas City Chiefs in the conference title game.

Orr also played linebacker for the Ravens from 2014-16, earning a second-team All-Pro berth in his final season with the team. He was forced to retire from the NFL in 2017 due to a congenital neck and spine condition.

He began his coaching career as a defensive analyst for the Ravens from 2017-20. Orr then had a one-year stint as the Jacksonville Jaguars' outside linebackers coach in 2021 before returning to Baltimore.