The Ravens have added some major firepower to their preseason broadcast crew.
Former Ravens head coach turned broadcaster Brian Billick will join Baltimore's booth for all four games.
"I'm thrilled to do it," Billick said. "Preseason is an exciting time. It's great to be a part of what is going to be an important preseason for the Ravens as they build toward this season."
Billick will be the color analyst next to play-by-play announcer Gerry Sandusky. Evan Washburn will be the sideline reporter.
That means the Ravens will have a play-by-play voice who called a Super Bowl, a color analyst who coached in a Super Bowl and sideline reporter from Super Bowl 50.
The second head coach in Ravens history, Billick compiled a record of 85-67, including a 5-3 mark in the playoffs. In just his second season as the Ravens' head coach, he led the team to its first championship in Super Bowl XXXV.
A public relations major at Brigham Young University, Billick quickly moved into the media business after his tenure with the Ravens (1999-2007) was over.
Billick has been working for the NFL Network as an analyst since 2009, and appears on "NFL GamDay First" every Sunday and "NFL Total Access" on weekdays. He was a color commentator during games on FOX for six seasons (2008-2013).
"Brian is insightful, detailed, and honest," said Jay O'Brien, the Ravens' Vice President of Broadcasting & Gameday Productions. "His background as both a Super Bowl-winning head coach and NFL broadcaster will help us deliver a compelling and entertaining broadcast for our fans."
Billick still lives in the Baltimore area, and said he has always followed the team from a distance.
"I never really left in the sense that we still live in the area and I love it here. This is our home," Billick said, adding that he still stayed in close contact with General Manager Ozzie Newsome, Senior Vice President of Public & Community Relations Kevin Byrne and others in the organization.
Not only is Billick an experienced broadcaster who still knows the Ravens well, but he is the only person who can speak knowledgably about exactly what conversations will be going on behind closed doors during the preseason.
He's been part of the process of whittling the Ravens' roster down to 53, and can talk about the tough decisions Harbaugh and his staff will have to make.
"He was in the same shoes that John and his staff are in right now," O'Brien said. "That perspective is going to be really interesting for our fans as we use these four preseason games to learn not just who the starters and backups are going to be, but who is the next Bart Scott."
The Ravens want to shift the broadcast away from the play-by-play of the game and more to the stories of the players. While the game is still important, it's not so much about who the starters will be, but more about role players that may emerge or players fighting to make the squad.
"It is all about the players. It's about the emotion and what they're going through and the pressures they encounter," Billick said.
"The last thing you want to do is let talent walk out the door because maybe they're a little confused. Maybe they're just not ready yet to absorb what you ask them to do, but they're good enough to do it. I think training camp and the preseason is very compelling."
Billick said the closest he ever got to letting a good player go was with nose tackle Kelly Gregg. A sixth-round pick in 1999, Gregg came to the Ravens in 2000 as a player eager to prove himself however he could.
"I thought, 'Who did we owe to bring this guy on the team?'" Billick quipped. "He was always willing to step in. You need a fullback, need a guard, need a whatever? He was always there and had that kind of attitude, and he ended up being a very good player for us."
