Report: Ravens poach new defensive backs coach from Chiefs

The Baltimore Ravens are hiring Donald D’Alesio after parting ways with Chris Hewitt.

The Baltimore Ravens are continuing to revamp their defensive coaching staff heading into Zach Orr’s second year as defensive coordinator. After parting ways with defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt and secondary coach Doug Mallory, the Ravens are hiring Kansas City Chiefs safeties coach, Donald D’Alesio as their new defensive backs coach, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The 33-year-old began his career in 2021 as a defensive assistant with the Chiefs and was promoted to safeties coach the following year. During his time in Kansas City, D’Alesio got to learn from one of the most brilliant defensive minds in NFL history in Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

In Baltimore, D’Alesio will be groomed by a pair of seasoned coaches in John Harbaugh and Chuck Pagano, who specialized in coaching defensive backs at the peak of their respective careers. Pagano recently rejoined the staff as a senior secondary coach.

Under D’Alesio’s tutelage in 2024, Chiefs’ starting safeties Justin Reid and Brian Cook combined for 197 tackles and five interceptions including the playoffs. He also coached veterans Juan Thornhill and Mike Edwards to standout seasons as contributors on championship-winning teams in 2022 and 2023. In Baltimore, he’ll be working even more talent in versatile superstar Kyle Hamilton and 2024 breakout Ar’Darius Washington.

Prior to coaching in the NFL, D’Alesio served as a defensive analyst at LSU in 2020 after spending five seasons on the coaching staff at Youngstown State, where he also played defensive back. During his stint as a coach for his alma mater, he spent time as the defensive coordinator, defensive line coach and defensive quality control coach.

D’Alesio isn’t the only young coach who is reportedly joining the staff this offseason. According to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, the Ravens are hiring Matt Pees to serve as an assistant linebackers coach. He is the son of current senior advisor and former defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who rejoined Harbaugh’s staff midway through the 2024 season. He helped turn around Baltimore’s porous pass defense and is remaining on staff in a part-time role.

While the Chiefs are losing one of their top assistants to the Ravens, they are also reportedly replenishing their coaching ranks with another ascending coach who happens to have familial ties to Baltimore. Per Matt Zenitz of CBS and 24/7 Sports, they are expected to hire Jackson State linebackers coach Chris Orr who is the younger brother of Ravens’ defensive coordinator Zach Orr.