Mike Mickens explains the difficult decision to leave Notre Dame

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Leaving Notre Dame was not easy for Mike Mickens. Joining the Baltimore Ravens was still an opportunity he believed he had to pursue. Mickens spent six seasons at Notre Dame, developing close relationships with players and their families while helping build one of college football’s most respected defensive backfields. He also valued the university’s academic mission and its potential to influence players long after their careers ended.

“You grow a love for them,” Mickens said on The Ravens Lounge. “Notre Dame is a great university. It’s great for what it stands for on the field and off the field academically.”

The decision changed when Jesse Minter became Baltimore’s head coach. Mickens had known Minter since his playing career at Cincinnati and received his first full-time coaching job from him at Indiana State. That relationship, combined with Baltimore’s defensive tradition, created an opportunity Mickens could not dismiss.

“To come up here to this organization that has a rich tradition and get to do it with a person that you know, respect and love, it was a no-brainer,” Mickens said.

Mickens arrives with the title of defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach. His experience should carry significant weight on a staff led by a defensive-minded head coach and coordinator Anthony Weaver. Baltimore also possesses the personnel to make the transition appealing. Kyle Hamilton played for Mickens at Notre Dame, while Nate Wiggins and Malaki Starks give the Ravens two more young defensive backs with significant upside. Mickens’ task is translating the culture and technical development that fueled his success in college to NFL players facing more sophisticated passing attacks.

Leaving a program he helped build meant stepping away from established relationships and familiarity. Baltimore offered a chance to reunite with Minter, work with Hamilton again and test his coaching at football’s highest level.

For Mickens, that combination made the difficult decision necessary.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Mike Mickens explains the difficult decision to leave Notre Dame

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