It appears that Gary Kubiak is not just the “favorite” for the Ravens offensive coordinator job, but also a harbinger of change for the team.
According to Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun, Kubiak is lining up his offensive staff before the takes the job, which means any existing offensive coaches could be in trouble.
That would explain talking to the Rick Dennisons and Kyle Shanahans of the world, who have background with Kubiak.
But the more intriguing note from Preston is that the move was driven by owner Steve Bisciotti and General Manager Ozzie Newsome, and that head coach John Harbaugh was a “non-factor” in the move.
Bisciotti’s the owner, so he gets to do what he wants. And he’s been willing to insert himself into team business at a personal level before.
But that would signal something well less than a mandate for head coach John Harbaugh, who you would think was rather secure since he won a Super Bowl a year ago.
Bisciotti previously declared to Preston he was patient, “but I don’t have to be patient enough to let people repeat failure.”
“I’ll be more apt to get my way next year if their solutions don’t change the problems. That’s fair, that’s where I am as owner,” he said. “They know they’ve failed, they know they need to change, and to make improvements. If it’s not the way I think it should be and then it fails again, then obviously it comes down to owner-head coach relationship.”
That seems harsh for a team which missed the playoffs for the first time in six years. But it also points to some degree of tension between the guy who made sure the $100 million quarterback was on board, and the guy who’s responsible for coaching him.