Brian Billick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brian Billick

Billick during 2007 training camp
Arizona State Sun Devils
Position:	Offensive analyst
Personal information
Born:	(1954-02-28) February 28, 1954 (age 71) Fairborn, Ohio, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:	265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High school:	Redlands (Redlands, California)
College:	BYU
NFL Draft:	1975 / Round: 11 / Pick: 295
Career history
As player:
San Francisco 49ers (1977)* Dallas Cowboys (1977)*
As coach:
University of Redlands (1977–1978) Volunteer wide receivers coach BYU (1978) Graduate assistant San Diego State (1981–1985) Tight ends Utah State (1986–1988) Offensive coordinator Stanford (1989–1991) Assistant head coach & tight ends coach Minnesota Vikings (1992–1993) Tight ends coach Minnesota Vikings (1994–1998) Offensive coordinator Baltimore Ravens (1999–2007) Head coach Arizona State (2022–present) Advisor to head coach & offensive analyst
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XXXV) PFWA NFL Assistant Coach of the Year (1998) Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor
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 an American former football coach and TV commentator. He was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 1994 to 1998. During the 1998 season, his team set a new record for points scored in the NFL.

After that, he spent nine seasons as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. He led the Ravens from January 19, 1999, to December 31, 2007. On January 28, 2001, Billick coached the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XXXV. They beat the New York Giants 34–7. This was the Ravens' first time playing in the Super Bowl. In 2019, he was honored by being added to the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor.

Early Life and School Years

Brian Billick was born in Fairborn, Ohio. He grew up in Redlands, California, with his five brothers and sisters. At Redlands High School, he played both football and basketball. His football jersey number was retired in 2001. He was also added to the school's hall of fame in 2004. Brian was teammates with Major League Baseball player Julio Cruz on the basketball team.

Playing Football in College

Billick started playing college football as a linebacker at the United States Air Force Academy. After his first year, he moved to Brigham Young University. There, he played as a tight end. In his senior year (1976), Billick was recognized for his skills. He earned honors from the Western Athletic Conference and an honorable mention for All-America.

Billick was chosen by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1977 NFL draft. He was the 295th player picked in the 11th round. After the 49ers released him, he briefly joined the Dallas Cowboys. He was also released by them and then stopped playing football professionally. He never played in an official National Football League game.

Coaching Journey

Coaching in College

In 1977, after his playing career ended, Billick appeared on a TV game show called Match Game PM. He then went back to his hometown of Redlands, California. He became a volunteer coach for wide receivers at the University of Redlands. He also helped coach the Redlands High School team at the same time. Billick would coach high school practice, then go to the university for college practice.

Billick worked as a graduate assistant coach at Brigham Young for one season (1978). After that, he joined the 49ers as an assistant director for public relations for two years (1979–1980).

He returned to coaching at San Diego State University. He was the tight ends coach and helped find new players for five seasons (1981–1985). Next, he became the offensive coordinator for Utah State University. In three seasons (1986–1988), Billick helped improve their offense a lot. It went from being one of the worst to one of the top 10 in their division.

Billick was then hired by Dennis Green at Stanford. He worked as the assistant head coach and tight ends coach for three seasons (1989–91).

Coaching in the NFL

Assistant Coach in the NFL

In 1992, Billick joined the Minnesota Vikings as an assistant coach. He followed Dennis Green, who became the Vikings' new head coach. The Vikings made it to the playoffs in six of the seven seasons (1992–1998) Billick was with them. Their offense also set several records. In 1998, Minnesota scored 556 points in a season. This was an NFL record at the time. They also set a team record with 41 touchdown passes.

Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens

On January 20, 1999, Brian Billick became the second head coach in Baltimore Ravens history. He took over from Ted Marchibroda. In his nine seasons (1999–2007) with the team, he had a record of 85 wins and 67 losses. In the playoffs, he won 5 games and lost 3. He led the team to a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXV.

Billick had the chance to interview for the head coach job with the Cleveland Browns. But he chose to interview with the Ravens first. He signed with Baltimore less than 24 hours after his first interview.

In his first season with the Ravens in 1999, Billick led the team to an 8–8 record. This was the first time the team had not lost more games than they won.

Billick (far right) and the 2000 Ravens meet U.S. president George W. Bush in 2001.

Billick with Gary Zauner in 2003.

The next season, in 2000, the Ravens finished with a 12–4 record. They earned their first spot in the playoffs. Before the playoffs, Billick told his players not to use the words "playoffs" or "Super Bowl." He wanted them to focus on winning each game. He even fined one player, Tony Siragusa, for breaking this rule. The players then started using the word "Festivus" from a TV show for the playoffs. They called the Super Bowl "Festivus Maximus." When they reached the playoffs, Billick allowed them to use the real terms. The Ravens' strong defense helped them win. They allowed only 165 points in the regular season, which was an NFL record. In the playoffs, they reached Super Bowl XXXV. They won easily against the New York Giants with a score of 34–7. This was Billick's only Super Bowl win.

Billick led the Ravens to a 10–6 record in 2001. They won against the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card Round. But they lost to their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the next round. Baltimore finished 7–9 in 2002 and missed the playoffs. However, they bounced back in 2003 with a 10–6 record. They also won their first division title. A key game that season was a 44–41 overtime win against the Seattle Seahawks. The Ravens scored 20 points without the Seahawks scoring any. This win helped the Ravens, who were 5–5 at the time, win their division. The Ravens then lost to the Tennessee Titans 20–17 in the Wild Card Round.

The Ravens missed the playoffs in 2004 (9–7 record) and 2005 (6–10 record). But they improved in the 2006 season. Billick took over as offensive coordinator on October 17, 2006. The Ravens then had their best record ever, 13–3. They won the AFC North and got a playoff bye. However, Baltimore lost to the Indianapolis Colts 15–6 in the Divisional Round. The Colts later won Super Bowl XLI.

Billick was fired on December 31, 2007. This was one day after the 2007 season ended with a 5–11 record. He was replaced by John Harbaugh on January 19, 2008.

For his important work with the Ravens, including their first Super Bowl win, Billick was added to the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor on September 29, 2019.

After Coaching in the NFL

After leaving the NFL, Billick coached the Team Kai college football all-stars in the 2022 Hula Bowl. His team won the game 21–20. He was later hired by the Arizona State Sun Devils football program. He works as an offensive analyst and advisor to the head coach. Billick coached Team Kai again in the 2023 Hula Bowl, and his team won again.

Working as a Commentator

When the Ravens were out of the playoffs in 2003, Billick worked as a studio analyst for ABC Sports. After being fired by the Ravens, Billick became a draft analyst for the NFL Network in 2008. He then became a game analyst for the NFL on Fox during the 2008 NFL season. He worked with Thom Brennaman.

Billick learned to like broadcasting. It gave him more free time. On NFL on Fox, he continued to work with Brennaman in 2009. On NFL Network, Billick appeared on The Coaches Show with Dennis Green. He also appeared on Playbook, a show that explains football strategies. He often appeared on ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning to talk about football games and news. Billick left Fox after the 2013 season.

Personal Life

Brian Billick is married to Kim, and they have two daughters, Aubrey and Keegan. Billick recently moved to Columbus, Ohio. He wanted to be close to his daughter while she attends The Ohio State University.

Through his daughter Keegan, Billick is the father-in-law of former NBA player Jon Leuer. Billick is also the brother-in-law of former NFL head coach Mike Smith.

Head Coaching Record