Dean Pees is in his first season as defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons and his 48th season of coaching overall.
Pees comes to Atlanta with 16 years of experience as an NFL coach, including 12 years as a defensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots. Pees is one of eight defensive coordinators in NFL history to coach in a Super Bowl with two different teams, doing so with New England in 2007 and Baltimore in 2012. He is also one of three individuals who has been the coordinator for three different teams in NFC/AFC Championship games in NFL history.
In 10 of his 12 seasons as a defensive coordinator, Pees' defenses have ranked in the top 12, including his first season in Tennessee in 2018 when the Titans ranked eighth in total defense and third in scoring defense allowing only 18.9 points per game – the fewest points allowed by Tennessee since 2008. Pees' defense ranked second in the red zone (44.7 percent), sixth in passing defense (216.9 yards per game) and first in fourth-quarter defense (65.9 yards per game) in 2018.
The Titans finished with the eighth-best third-down defense (36.3 percent) and 12th-best rushing defense (104.5 avg.) in 2019. Pees' defense limited Patriots QB Tom Brady and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson to 13 and 12 points, respectively, in the 2019 postseason en route to the AFC Championship Game. Following the postseason run, Pees decided to step down as the Titans defensive coordinator.
Prior to his time in Tennessee, Pees spent eight seasons with the Baltimore Ravens from 2010-17, including six seasons as defensive coordinator (2012-17). After coaching linebackers for his first two seasons in Baltimore, Pees was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2012. In his first season as defensive coordinator, the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII. Over his six years as defensive coordinator, Pees' defense ranked eighth in yards allowed per game (334.7), ninth in points allowed (21.1 avg.), 10th in sacks (236), eighth in rushing yards per game (103.4 avg.), fourth in rushing yards per play (3.9 avg.) and seventh in opponent passer rating (85.4). The Ravens finished in the top 12 in total defense in five of six seasons under Pees.
In 2017, his final year in Baltimore, the Ravens led the NFL in interceptions (22), takeaways (34), and shutouts (three), while their defensive passer rating (72.4) and five defensive touchdowns – tied with Detroit and Philadelphia – ranked second. Baltimore's three shutouts were the most in a season since the 2003 Patriots. That season, the Ravens also had three defensive players named to the Pro Bowl – linebacker C.J. Mosley, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and safety Eric Weddle.
After finishing with the eighth-ranked defense in 2015 (337.4 yards per game), the 2016 Ravens defense finished seventh in total yards per game, joining the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks as the only clubs to finish in the top 10 in total defense in each season from 2014-16. Under Pees, the Ravens tied
Kansas City and San Diego for the most interceptions (18) in the NFL in 2016. Mosley and Weddle earned Pro Bowl honors while helping the Ravens allow the ninth-fewest points per game (20.1) and the second-lowest opponents' third-down percentage (35.0).
The 2014 Ravens defense, which featured Pro Bowl selections Mosley and outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil, ranked second in red zone defense (42.6 percent), allowed the league's sixth-fewest points (18.9) and eighth-fewest yards per game (336.9). Dumervil, who set a franchise record with 17 sacks, and Suggs (12 sacks) combined to produce the most sacks (29) among teammates in the NFL that season.
In 2013, the Ravens defense starred Pro Bowlers Suggs and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who led the unit to the third-best finish on third down (33.5 percent) and the seventh-best mark in red zone defense (48.8 percent touchdown rate). Linebacker Daryl Smith was one of three NFL defenders to post at least 100 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions. Cornerback Lardarius Webb tied for the league lead with 22 passes defensed.
In 2012, his first year as coordinator, Pees' unit was depleted by injuries to key starters, including Suggs, who missed the first six games, and future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, who missed the final 10 regular season games. With Ngata and safety Ed Reed earning Pro Bowl nods, the Super Bowl-winning defense was the NFL's second best in the red zone, limiting opponents to 43.4 percent inside the 20.
Before joining Baltimore's staff, Pees spent six seasons (2004-09) under Bill Belichick on New England's staff, including four years (2006-09) as defensive coordinator. During his tenure as defensive coordinator, the Patriots were the only team in the NFL to finish in the top 10 in scoring defense in four consecutive seasons. The Patriots also allowed fewer than 20 points per game in every season under Pees, the best four-year run of any coordinator in the Belichick era.
Prior to entering the NFL's coaching ranks, Pees spent 25 years coaching at the collegiate level, including 21 seasons as a head coach or coordinator. He spent six seasons (1998-2003) as the head coach at Kent State University where he coached future NFL Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison and Josh Cribbs.
From 1995-97, Pees served as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Michigan State under head coach Nick Saban. The Spartans reached the postseason in each of Pees' three seasons and finished with the 13th-ranked defense in the nation in his final season in East Lansing.
In 1994, Pees coached All-American and future Pro Bowl cornerback Bobby Taylor at Notre Dame under head coach Lou Holtz. From 1990-93, Pees was the defensive coordinator at the University of Toledo under Saban.
A native of Dunkirk, Ohio, Pees earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Bowling Green State University. In May 2019, he gave the commencement speech to his alma mater's graduating class that included an original musical piece that he wrote and performed on the piano.
Pees has been honored with several awards during his career. He was added as a member of the Hardin County Ohio Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. He later received a distinguished alumni award from Hardin Northern (Dola, Ohio) High School and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2013. Ohio State University honored him with the second annual "A Tribute to Ohio's Finest" award in a spring 2015 ceremony at the university. He was the second-ever NFL coach (Paul Brown, 2014) to receive the honor,
which is also awarded to a high school and college coach from Ohio. In January 2018, he was inducted into the University of Findlay Athletic Hall of Fame and received the university's Lifetime Achievement Award. He was added to the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in June 2019.
He and his wife, Melody, have six children: Laura (son-in-law Austin), Meredith (son-in-law Scott), Steffani, Matt (daughter-in-law Emily), Elli (son-in-law Chad) and Tarrin (son-in-law Cress). They have 12 grandchildren: Kade, Cole, Parker, twins Samantha and Brody, Julian, Ellis, Wyatt Dean, Sierra, Sydney, Tucker and Adeline.
