The hiring of Secondary Coach Leslie Frazier was a big coup for the Ravens.
Fraizer is a highly-respected defensive mind and has 17 years of experience as an NFL coach. He could have gone elsewhere with other options available, but he chose Baltimore.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Head Coach John Harbaugh was the draw.
"John and I, we have a very long history together," Frazier said in his first interview since being hired about a month ago. "We coached together in Philadelphia, had some great years there. As you know, he's a tremendous guy."
Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2011 to 2013 and, most recently, the defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the past two seasons. But before that, Frazier and Harbaugh coached side-by-side in Philadelphia.
They were together for four years from 1999 to 2002 when they bother oversaw the defensive backs. Harbaugh also coached special teams.
Frazier also said having a chance to be around General Manager Ozzie Newsome and the great Ravens fans, who he had gained an appreciation for as a visitor to M&T Bank Stadium, were also draws.
"But more than anything, the relationship with John had a lot to do with it," he said.
"I know the type of man he is, I know the type of father, the type of husband that he is, and the type of leader. He's a tremendous leader. He had great respect from the players when we were assistant coaches. To see him transform and do the same things here in Baltimore, that was something that I got excited for."
Drawing top-notch coaches to Baltimore is becoming a trend for Harbaugh.
Through his eight years of success, he's brought a host of former head coaches on board from the newest Super Bowl winning head coach, Gary Kubiak, to Steve Spagnuolo, Jim Caldwell and current Offensive Coordinator Marc Trestman.
Being a former head coach himself, Frazier said it's also an opportunity for him to learn from Harbaugh.
Frazier said it's also chance to coach some very talented players, including cornerback Jimmy Smith and converting safety Lardarius Webb. And, at the end of the day, Frazier is chasing what everybody in the NFL wants – the Lombardi Trophy.
"Knowing there are some pieces to the puzzle here," he said. "This team is not that far away."
