Billick to Remain in Baltimore For 2006

Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti ended the speculation about Brian Billick's future with the organization yesterday, announcing Billick will return as coach for the 2006 season.

"We have an ongoing and extensive process to find ways to win," Bisciotti said in a statement released by the team. "This included a thorough evaluation of Brian Billick. Collectively, we concluded that continuing with Brian as head coach gives us the best opportunity to win."

Billick, who was hired in 1999, has posted a 62-49 regular season record in nearly seven seasons with the Ravens and has led the franchise to its only playoff appearances (2000, 2001, 2003). Baltimore won Super Bowl XXXV in Billick's second season.

The Ravens (6-9) are ensured of finishing the season without a winning record for the third time in Billick's tenure. This has been the most disappointing of the non-winning seasons because of the high expectations that opened the season; Billick said this was the most talented team he's had.

Baltimore started the season 3-8, which included embarrassing losses at Tennessee (no first downs in the first half) and Detroit (team-record 21 penalties and the ejection of two players), and Billick's job appeared to be in jeopardy, though the coach's confidence never wavered.

The Ravens regrouped and have won four of their past six games; they beat Green Bay and Minnesota on national television by a combined score of 78-26. Baltimore ends its season at Cleveland on Sunday.

"I am very appreciative to be a part of an organization and a group of people that we have here," said Billick, who is tied with Philadelphia's Andy Reid as the fourth-longest tenured coach in the NFL. "The ability to deal [with] and go through the difficulties that a team and organization does, and to deal with it the way we have, is very important to me and that is why I covet being here."

The low-profile Bisciotti, whose first major move after assuming full ownership of the team last year was to extend Billick's contract through the 2007 season, did not make his first public statement about the coach's future until yesterday morning. He informed the players and coaching staff of his decision during a 10-minute meeting. The players -- many of whom have played only for Billick -- seemed to welcome the news.

"That's cool. That's good," running back Jamal Lewis said. "Everybody deserves a second chance. When things go wrong, everybody wants to point the fingers. If anybody knows that, it's me. I think that it's good for the organization. They're giving him another chance. I think he will come in, and we will regroup as a team. It's not just about one person."

"Some say that sometimes new blood and a new voice is a good thing," veteran kicker Matt Stover said. "I disagree. This league, it's so difficult to win, so hard to find the proper leadership. When you as a leadership group know you have the guy that can take you to the Super Bowl, for the sake of change, you don't want to do that. He's got the formula, he's got the understanding of what it takes to be a Super Bowl-winning coach. He's proven that."

Both Billick and the players were happy with the timing of the announcement, as well as the way Bisciotti handled it -- by telling them face-to-face, rather than having the news leak out.

"It's always good to know that there is a definite, especially in the midst of what's been going on," wide receiver Derrick Mason said. "It's kind of bad to leave this building not knowing what's what. To know that the head man is going to be back, I think that's a reassurance to everybody that he's on board."