Jerry Rosburg, Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator, will retire, he and the Ravens announced Friday.
Assistant Special Teams coach Chris Horton will take over for Rosburg, and Randy Brown, who had been a part-time special teams coach and kicking consultant, will join the staff full -time.
The 63-year-old Rosburg earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the NFL's best special teams coaches during his 11 seasons working on Head Coach John Harbaugh's staff and 40 years in coaching overall.
"I will stay on for a period of time to be a resource for Chris and anyone else during that transition," said Rosburg, who has three children with his wife, Sherry. "I have a lot of plans. Me and my plans center around my family. I don't want to miss as many hockey games and volleyball games as I have. Our days are limited on this earth, and there are some things that I'm missing I don't want to miss anymore.
"I'm very grateful for this group of men we've worked with and all the great Ravens players I've had an opportunity to work with. I'll carry with me many amazing memories."
For the past seven seasons, the Ravens have finished among the top five in the league's special teams rankings compiled by NFL senior writer Rich Gosselin. Six special teamers have earned Pro Bowl honors during Rosburg's tenure, including kicker Justin Tucker, punter Sam Koch and long snapper Morgan Cox.
Rosburg has been an NFL special teams coordinator since 2001, starting with the Cleveland Browns (2001-06) before his one season with the Atlanta Falcons (2007). His attention to detail could often be witnessed at practice, running special teams drills repeatedly until players executed them exactly the way he wanted. Rosburg was passionate about coaching and loyal to his players.
Harbaugh said he would greatly miss working side-by-side with Rosburg.
"I would say that Jerry's been my best friend for 25, 30 years," Harbaugh said. "Jerry has been not only the best special teams coach in the league for the past 11 years plus, he's been the best associate head coach and the best friend that a head coach could have. Without Jerry Rosburg, there's no way we would've had anywhere close to the success we've had. A great friend, a great colleague, a great coach."
Harbaugh and Rosburg's coaching relationship began during the 1980s when they both worked at Western Michigan on the coaching staff led by Harbaugh's father, Jack Harbaugh. Rosburg began coaching in 1979 at Fargo (N.D) Shanley High School, then moved to Northern Michigan in 1981, where he became a graduate assistant coach and earned his Master's degree in 1983. Rosburg left Northern Michigan in 1987 to become linebackers coach at Western Michigan. In 1992, he moved to Cincinnati to become linebackers coach, reuniting with Harbaugh, who was Cincinnati's special teams coordinator.
Rosburg spent one season as secondary coach at Minnesota (1996), three seasons at Boston College as secondary coach (1997-99), and two seasons as outside linebackers/special teams coach at Notre Dame (1999-2000).
Horton said he looked forward to assuming his new role, and to continuing the Ravens' tradition of strong special teams play.
"Special teams is made of special players," Horton said. "It takes unselfish players to go out there and give all you got for that one play. I got to give thanks to Jerry. Jerry brought me up, he brought me along, he showed me the way. From a special teams standpoint, the foundation has been laid. I can guarantee you that when you watch the Ravens special teams play, that's still going to be what we stand on, each and every week."
