Brian Billick facts for kids
Billick during 2007 training camp
|
|
| Arizona State Sun Devils | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive analyst |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 28, 1954 Fairborn, Ohio, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Redlands (Redlands, California) |
| College: | BYU |
| NFL Draft: | 1977 / Round: 11 / Pick: 295 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
|
|
| As coach: | |
|
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 80–64 (.556) |
| Postseason: | 5–3 (.625) |
| Career: | 85–67 (.559) |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Brian Harold Billick (born February 28, 1954) is a former American football coach and sports commentator. He is best known for being the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens from 1999 to 2007. During his time with the Ravens, he led the team to win Super Bowl XXXV in 2001.
Before becoming a head coach, Billick was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. An offensive coordinator is the coach in charge of the team's attacking plays. In 1998, the Vikings' offense, led by Billick, set a new record for the most points scored in an NFL season. In 2019, he was honored by being added to the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor, which celebrates important people in the team's history.
Contents
Early Life and High School Years
Brian Billick was born in Fairborn, Ohio. He grew up in Redlands, California, with his five brothers and sisters. In high school, he was a talented athlete, playing both football and basketball at Redlands High School. His football jersey number was retired by the school in 2001, which is a special honor. In 2004, he was also inducted into the school's hall of fame.
College Football Career
Billick started his college football journey as a linebacker at the United States Air Force Academy. After his first year, he moved to Brigham Young University. There, he switched positions and played as a tight end. A tight end is a player who can block for runners and also catch passes. In his final year, Billick was recognized as one of the best college players, earning an All-America honorable mention.
In 1977, Billick was chosen by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL draft. The draft is where NFL teams pick new players from college. He was picked in the 11th round. After being released by the 49ers, he briefly joined the Dallas Cowboys but was also released. He decided to retire as a player without playing in an official NFL game.
Coaching Journey
Starting in College Football
After his playing career ended, Brian Billick began coaching. In 1977, he returned to his hometown to volunteer as a wide receivers coach for the University of Redlands football team. He also helped coach at Redlands High School at the same time. He would coach the high school team in the afternoon and then head to the university for their practice.
He then worked as a graduate assistant at Brigham Young University for one season. A graduate assistant is a coach who is also studying at the university. After that, he spent two years working in public relations for the San Francisco 49ers.
Billick returned to coaching in 1981 at San Diego State University. He coached tight ends and helped find new players for the team for five seasons. Later, he became the offensive coordinator at Utah State University. He helped improve their offense a lot, turning it into one of the top 10 offenses in college football within three years.
From 1989 to 1991, Billick worked at Stanford University. He was the assistant head coach and also coached tight ends there.
Becoming an NFL Coach
Assistant Coach in the NFL
In 1992, Brian Billick joined the Minnesota Vikings as an assistant coach. He worked with the team for seven seasons. During this time, the Vikings made it to the playoffs six times. The playoffs are special games played after the regular season to decide the champions.
In 1998, the Vikings' offense, which Billick helped lead, set an NFL record by scoring 556 points in a single season. They also scored 41 touchdown passes, which was a team record. This success showed everyone how good Billick was at coaching offense.
Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens
On January 20, 1999, Brian Billick became the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. He coached the team for nine seasons, from 1999 to 2007. During his time, the Ravens won 85 games and lost 67. In the playoffs, they won 5 games and lost 3.
In his first year with the Ravens in 1999, Billick led the team to an 8-8 record, which meant they won as many games as they lost. This was the first time the team had not had a losing record in its short history.
The next year, in 2000, the Ravens had an amazing season, finishing with a 12-4 record and making the playoffs for the first time. Billick had a unique rule: he told his players not to use the words "playoffs" or "Super Bowl" to keep them focused on each game. The players found a funny way around this by using the word "Festivus" (from a TV show) for the playoffs and "Festivus Maximus" for the Super Bowl.
The Ravens' defense that year was incredibly strong, allowing the fewest points ever in a regular season. This powerful defense helped them reach Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants. On January 28, 2001, the Ravens won the Super Bowl with a score of 34-7. This was Billick's only Super Bowl victory as a head coach.
.jpg)
The Ravens continued to be a strong team under Billick. In 2003, they won their division title for the first time. However, after a tough 5-11 season in 2007, Billick was fired on December 31, 2007.
Even though he was no longer coaching the team, Billick's impact was remembered. On September 29, 2019, he was inducted into the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor for his important contributions, especially leading them to their first Super Bowl win.
Life After NFL Coaching
After leaving the Ravens, Brian Billick continued to be involved in football. In 2022 and 2023, he coached Team Kai, a group of college football all-stars, in the Hula Bowl game, winning both times. He was later hired by the Arizona State Sun Devils football program as an offensive analyst and advisor to the head coach. An offensive analyst studies how the offense plays and gives advice.
Broadcasting Career
Billick also became a well-known sports commentator. He worked for the NFL Network as a draft analyst, helping explain which players teams were picking. He also became a game analyst for the NFL on Fox, where he would explain plays during live football games. He appeared on other shows like The Coaches Show and Playbook, sharing his knowledge of football strategies. He enjoyed broadcasting because it gave him more free time. Billick stopped working for Fox after the 2013 season.
Personal Life
Brian Billick is married to Kim, and they have two daughters named Aubrey and Keegan. Billick recently moved to Columbus, Ohio, to be closer to his daughter while she attends The Ohio State University. His daughter Keegan is married to former NBA basketball player Jon Leuer. Billick is also related by marriage to another former NFL head coach, Mike Smith.
