Zach Orr still looks like he could play, but his love for coaching is obvious.
The Ravens’ new inside linebackers coach approaches his craft with the same intensity that helped him thrive as a player. As an an undrafted free agent in 2014, Orr made the Ravens roster and quickly became a starter and second team All-Pro in 2016.
A congenital neck/spine condition discovered in 2017 forced Orr to retire prematurely after just three seasons, but he quickly pivoted to a career in coaching. He was as a defensive analyst on Head Coach John Harbaugh’s staff for three years, then after a season as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ outside linebackers coach in 2021, the Ravens brought Orr back this offseason to coach their inside linebackers.
It’s a great fit for Orr, working with young players like Patrick Queen, Malik Harrison and Kristian Welch who are trying to maximize their talent like Orr did. Though he leans on his experience as a former NFL player, coaching brings new challenges that Orr has embraced.
“As a player, I understood the game pretty well, but coaching is a whole different deal,” Orr said. “It’s not what you know, it’s what can you teach the players and what they can retain.”
Orr is just 29 years old, and it’s clear at OTAs that he can still move like a linebacker. Does he think he could still play in the NFL?
“Not anymore,” Orr said smiling. “The first probably year or two, I did. But now, I’m like, ‘This is crazy.’ I couldn’t compete with these guys right now, so I have no itch.
“I’ve fully transitioned into straight coaching. I know I played, but I kind of forget that I played now in that sense. It’s great that I’m in that mind space, because I think that it allows me to be the best coach I could possibly be.”
Orr built great relationships during his time in Baltimore, but he took nothing for granted when he interviewed for the job this offseason.
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