Familiarity Will Help Ravens New Special Teams Coordinator Excel

The Baltimore Ravens elevated a familiar face to organize and call the unit he once led as a player.

Nov 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Keondre Jackson (39) and linebacker Teddye Buchanan (40) and safety Malaki Starks (24) react to a fumble recovery during the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

There is only a trio of holdovers from new Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter's staff who were on his predecessor and mentor, John Harbaugh's, staff. While senior special teams coach Randy Brown and inside linebacker coach Tyler Santucci were retained in the same roles, Anthony Levine Sr. was promoted from a special teams assistant coach to the coordinator.

The former renowned special teams ace, as a player who spent 10 of his 11 years in the league in Charm City, also began his coaching career with the team in 2022. After spending two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, he returned to the Ravens last season and built a strong rapport with several of the young core special teams players that he believes will help him elevate the unit moving forward.

"With me being here as a player and being here as a coach – and especially coming back here last year – being around these guys and talking to them all the time and getting to know them and connecting with them, [I'm] building a relationship with them," Levine Sr. said at his introductory press conference.

During his playing career, when he was making a name for himself as one of the best special teams players in the league, he earned the nickname 'Co-Cap' because he was always one of the Ravens' stalwart leaders and standout contributors who provided juice and playmaking ability.

A player currently on the roster whose career is following a similar path to Levine Sr.'s is Keondre Jackson, who, under his tutelage, emerged as the Ravens best core special teams player as an undrafted rookie out of Illinois State University. He appeared in 12 games and finished with 13 total tackles, including 10 solos, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

The connection that they established last year was so strong that Jackson felt compelled to reach out to Levine Sr. and let him know that he was flying into Baltimore to attend the introductory press conference.

"That speaks the volume of the type of players that we have and the type of connection that I have with these guys," Levine Sr. said. "They understand the standard; they understand the culture."

When he returned to the team as an assistant, it wasn't just in a support role but rather an outspoken one. His predecessor, Chris Horton, who also coached him for the bulk of his playing career, regularly had him at the front of the room leading the meetings.

"[With] my leadership style, the way I interact with them, the way I challenge them [and] the way we hold each other accountable... these guys, they respect me," Levine Sr. said. "We don't talk a lot about how much I did when I played, because it's not about what I did when I played. It's more about them, and it's more about me being able to teach them to go out there and be productive and have a great career that they want to have."

Levine reflects on being coached by Minter

Sep 30, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive back Anthony Levine Sr. (41) returns a fourth quarter interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. The Ravens won 26-14. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images | Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

The 38-year-old's familiarity factor extends to the current coaching staff as well, as Minter coached him in two of the final three years of his career from 2019-2020 as a defensive backs coach and fondly remembered how strong their connection was during that time and what made him such a great coach.

"He was great at that, and he also told us what we needed to hear and not what we wanted to hear," Levine Sr. said. "There are times where players want to go and seek comfort. You want to go and seek comfort, and Jesse always was there with us. He made sure that we did what we needed to do, but at the end of the day, it was the way that he was able to connect with us and build a relationship with us – that made him special and we did everything we could to make sure that we could make plays."

Being relatable, emphasizing connectivity and building relationships are clearly core principles that Minter not only lives and coaches by, but are part of what his former players and colleagues admire most when it comes to his traits as a man and as a coach.

"We'll come in, and we'll joke around, but when it was time to be serious, and it was time to get on us, and it was time to hold us accountable, he did that," Levine Sr. said. "That's what we love about him."

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