Ravens promote Craig Ver Steeg to running backs coach, replacing Matt Weiss

The Ravens are losing another assistant coach to the University of Michigan but have filled the vacancy with an in-house candidate.

The Ravens announced Sunday night that longtime assistant Craig Ver Steeg has been promoted to running backs coach, replacing Matt Weiss, who joined Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, the younger brother of Ravens coach John, as the Wolverines’ quarterbacks coach. Weiss, whose hire was officially announced Monday, is the second assistant departing for Michigan this offseason; former linebackers coach Mike Macdonald joined the program as its defensive coordinator.

Ver Steeg, 60, has 38 years of coaching experience and is an original member of John Harbaugh’s coaching staff. He most recently served as senior assistant/running backs coach.

“Craig is a highly-regarded member of our staff and someone who’s served as an integral part of our offense for many years,” Harbaugh said in a news release. “He has vast experience coaching and coordinating offenses, a thorough understanding of our schemes and techniques, and has a great relationship with our running backs. Craig is a dedicated coach and teacher who has a proven ability for getting the most out of our players.”

Weiss, 37, finished his 12th year on the coaching staff and his second as running backs coach. He also worked with quarterbacks as an offensive assistant from 2016 to 2017 and served as an assistant at Stanford when Jim Harbaugh was the head coach.

After Harbaugh managed to retain his entire coaching staff for the 2020 season, several Ravens assistants have departed for the college and professional ranks this offseason.

Former defensive line coach Joe Cullen joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as their defensive coordinator and brought along two assistants, former coaching analyst Zachary Orr and former assistant defensive line coach Sterling Lucas. Former defensive backs coach Jesse Minter joined Vanderbilt as its defensive coordinator, and former pass-game coordinator/wide receivers coach David Culley was hired as the Houston Texans’ head coach. Former assistant tights end coach Andy Bischoff joined Culley to be Houston’s tight ends coach. And former defensive coaching analyst Brian Duker joined the Detroit Lions as a defensive assistant.

The Ravens have since filled several of those vacancies, hiring Rob Ryan (inside linebackers coach), Jay Peterson (assistant linebackers coach), Anthony Weaver (run game coordinator/defensive line coach), Jason Brooks (assistant defensive line coach), D’Anton Lynn (defensive backs coach), Tee Martin (wide receivers coach) and Keith Williams (pass game specialist).