Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken has a track record of success at the college and professional levels, and two former NFL head coaches who worked with Monken speak highly of the man who was sought out to unlock quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Monken, 57, was hired as the new offensive play-caller in Baltimore on Feb. 14, two days following Super Bowl LVII. Monken enters his 35th season as a coach and ninth at the NFL level. He previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-2018) and Cleveland Browns (2019).
Monken has coached for 26 years at the collegiate level, most notably serving as the offensive coordinator at Georgia from 2020-2022. He helped guide the Bulldogs to back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022.
Prior to that, Monken helped run the Browns’ offense for head coach Freddie Kitchens. He put together a dominant rushing attack behind running back Nick Chubb, who recorded the second-most rushing yards (1,494) in the NFL. Cleveland finished the season fourth in yards per carry (4.8).
Monken has a history of making use of his best weapons at both the college and NFL levels.
“Todd, first and foremost, is an excellent football coach and is an excellent teacher,” Kitchens said on Glenn Clark Radio April 13. “… He’s very versatile from the standpoint of how he coaches. Different players require different coaching. He’s been involved in several different systems. Todd will put those guys in great situations to be successful. Todd Monken is one of the best football coaches I’ve been around.”
Monken spent his time in Tampa Bay under head coach Dirk Koetter, who also mentioned versatility as one of Monken’s greatest strengths.
Georgia’s 2022 offense centered around tight end Brock Bowers, a projected top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Backing him up was Steelers tight end Darnell Washington, who was selected in the third round (No. 93 overall) of this year’s draft.
Georgia’s 2022 team played 63.1 percent of its snaps with two or more tight ends (fourth nationally), according to The Athletic. Bulldogs quarterbacks targeted tight ends at a 29.2 percent rate (fifth nationally). This equated to 33.2 percent of its team’s receiving yards being produced by tight ends (sixth nationally).
In Baltimore, Monken’s offense will once again consist of a dominant group of tight ends. Given his history with the position, Monken should have no problem incorporating All-Pro Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, who performed well filling in for an injured Andrews last season.
“Todd has coached in all kinds of different systems, and then eventually you kind of turn that into your own system, but that’s got to be extremely pliable and able to adapt to the talent that you have,” Koetter said on GCR June 22. “You saw at Georgia, they did a great job, they had really good tight ends. They did a great job of using the tight end in their offense.”
Monken and Koetter also worked alongside each other with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2007-2010. Monken coached the wide receivers, while Koetter was the offensive coordinator.
When Koetter was hired as the Buccaneers’ head coach in January 2016, Monken was the head coach at Southern Mississippi. Koetter needed a coach to lead his offense and although it took some convincing, Monken was his guy.
In 2018, Monken led the No. 1 passing offense in the league with quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston. The Buccaneers totaled 323.3 yards per game with a dominant wide receiver corps of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries.
“I needed someone who I knew could eventually take over play-calling but had a strong wide receiver and quarterback background,” Koetter said. “… But just like when he went to Georgia, I think Todd has always wanted to get back to the NFL, and what a great opportunity he has there in Baltimore.”
The Ravens’ offense also features a former MVP quarterback and a redesigned wideout group. The Ravens signed Odell Beckham Jr., who previously played under Monken in 2019 with the Browns, to a one-year, $15 million contract in April. A few weeks later, the Ravens selected Zay Flowers out of Boston College with the 22nd overall pick.
Koetter says Monken can harness Jackson’s skill set.
“Part of that is Baltimore was just a terrific running team the past few years and I just think being a little bit more balanced and spreading the ball around to all your various playmakers, I think Todd will do a great job of that,” Koetter said.
Since Jackson entered the league in 2018, the Ravens have the most rushing yards by a team and it’s not particularly close. Baltimore has lacked a consistent wide receiver corps in years past but with the offseason additions of Beckham and Flowers, the Ravens are hoping Monken is the offensive coordinator to elevate Baltimore’s offense and lead the team to its third Super Bowl ring.
“Todd can put Odell in position to be successful,” said Kitchens, who coached Beckham in 2019. “Knowing how he is as a person, knowing how he is as a player, and how hard of a worker he is, I think that’s a great situation for him.”
For more from Kitchens, listen to the full interview here:
For more from Koetter, listen to the full interview here:
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