Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken called it “flattering” to have his name tossed about in NFL head coaching searches, but he said he is singularly focused this week on the Ravens’ upcoming AFC wild-card round game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have announced that they have formally requested to interview Monken for their head coaching opening, and according to reports, the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders have done so as well.
Speaking at his weekly news conference after the Ravens’ practice Jan. 8, Monken said none of that has any bearing on him right now as he and the third-seeded Ravens (12-5) prepare to host the sixth-seeded Steelers (10-7) at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m.
“Everything is about the Steelers,” Monken said. “First of all, when anybody puts in a request, it’s really a compliment to the organization, our staff and our players. That’s really what it is. You can’t do it without really good players, really good staff, a great organization and an unbelievable head coach, but there’s nothing about that that factors in right now, other than beating the Steelers.”
Under Monken, the Ravens this year ranked No. 1 in total offense, rushing offense and red zone offense and became the first team in NFL history to amass 3,000 rushing yards and 4,000 passing yards in the same season.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson won the league Most Valuable Player award last season in Monken’s first season as offensive coordinator, and Jackson is a leading candidate to win the award again this season.
Monken, 58, has never been a head coach in the NFL. He came to Baltimore after serving as offensive coordinator at the University of Georgia, helping the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships. He previously served as an NFL offensive coordinator with Tampa Bay (2016-18) and Cleveland (2019).
Monken’s lone head coaching stint came from 2013-2015 at Southern Mississippi. He took over a program that had gone 0-12 the year before, and by 2015 the Golden Eagles went 9-5, a record that hasn’t been matched since he left.
According to NFL rules, no interviews with Monken can take place until next week. Teams cannot interview coaches of teams playing in the Wild-Card Weekend until Tuesday of next week, and any such interview must be virtual. In-person interviews can’t be held until Jan. 20, or a week later if a coach’s team is still alive in the postseason.
Teams poking around at the Ravens’ staff seems to be an annual tradition, and in the past, head coach John Harbaugh has said that he views that as a compliment to the organization and that he is pleased to see his assistants get such opportunities.
Last year, defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald was hired as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver (Miami) and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson (Tennessee) were hired away as coordinators elsewhere.
Asked more broadly about aspirations to become an NFL head coach, Monken reiterated that he isn’t looking any further than the Steelers game.
“What matters most is Saturday,” he said. “I promise you that.”
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