INDIANAPOLIS – A man who has coached some of the premier linebackers in NFL history is coming to Indianapolis.
On Thursday evening, the Colts hired Ted Monachino to be their defensive coordinator.
Monachino, 49, spent the past six years as the linebacker's coach with the Baltimore Ravens.
This will be Monachino's first time being a defensive coordinator at the collegiate or professional level.
In Baltimore, from 2010-2015, Monachino coached the likes of Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil and C.J. Mosley.
"Ted is an outstanding technician coach who is also a great motivator," Dumervil, who set a Ravens franchise record in 2014 for sacks in a single season, said in the Ravens media guide.
"Whether you're a rookie or a Pro Bowler, he demands consistency and makes you want to work every day to be your best. On a personal note, he's helped me refine my game at this stage in my career. We've worked to master the details of the game, and I am appreciative of the impact he's made not only on me, but on our entire linebackers group. His reach extends beyond football, too, as he's a dedicated family man who sets a terrific example for everyone on how life is best approached off the field."
Monachino and Chuck Pagano were Baltimore position coaches together in 2010 and again in 2011, when Pagano was the Ravens defensive coordinator.
With Baltimore, Monachino was the position coach for Suggs when the All-Pro linebacker was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.
The relationship of Monachino and Suggs dates back to the early 2000s.
With the two together at Arizona State, Monachino was once again Suggs' position coach when the edge rusher set an NCAA record for sacks in a single-season (24) and won the Bronco Nagurski Award given to the nation's top defensive player.
In 2014, Mosley became the first rookie in Ravens team history to earn Pro Bowl honors in his first NFL season.
While Monachino lacks coordinating experience, there's no denying he's helped develop some elite linebackers and will implement a similar defensive system in Indianapolis.
The Colts defensive personnel is currently equipped to stay in a 3-4 scheme.
"We are pleased to announce the hiring of Ted Monachino as our next defensive coordinator," Pagano said in a team release.
"Ted brings a wealth of experience with 25 years of coaching all on the defensive side of the ball. He has overseen one of the league's best linebacker units for the last six years and I had the privilege of coaching with him for two of those seasons. Ted is very familiar with our scheme. He is a great motivator and is extremely respected by the players he has coached."
Here is video of Monachino mic’d up at a Ravens Training Camp practice last year.
MONACHINO COACHING BACKGROUND
- 1996-97: Texas Christian-Graduate Assistant
- 1998: James Madison-Defensive Line
- 1999: Southwest Missouri State-Outside Linebackers
- 2000: Boise State-Defensive Line
- 2001-05: Arizona State-Defensive Line
- 2006-09: Jacksonville Jaguars-Defensive Line
- 2010-15: Baltimore Ravens-Linebackers
