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Frank Gansz Jr. joined the Ravens in 2006 as Baltimore's special teams coordinator after 5 very successful years in the same position with the Kansas City Chiefs...Gansz brings 19 years of coaching experience to the Ravens.
OVERVIEW: Gansz's special teams units in Kansas City had a knack for scoring...In 2005, return specialist WR Dante Hall scored a TD on a kickoff, the 4th-straight year he had accomplished that feat...Hall, who was named to the Pro Bowl in 2002 and 2003 as a kick returner, led the NFL in most KORs for TDs (10) over the last 4 years (6 KORs, 4 PRs, 2002-05)...In addition to Hall, Gansz also coached former KC Pro Bowl special teamers Kendall Gammon (long snapper, 2004) and LB Gary Stills (special teamer, 2003), who signed with the Ravens prior to the 2006 season...The Gansz-led units also excelled in blocking punts and kicks, tallying 4 blocked punts from 2001-02...They batted away 3 FGs in 2 seasons (2002-03)...Frank has seen his special teams excel in each of his coaching stints, both in college and the pros.
2001-05: (with Kansas City) 2005: The Chiefs' ST units ranked 4th in the NFL in average drive start (30.7) and 8th in the league with 1,591 KOR yards...K Lawrence Tynes converted 2 50-yard FGs for the 2nd time in 2 years...Return specialist Dante Hall scored a TD on a kickoff for the 4th-straight year and led NFL players with 10 combined KORs for TDs over the last 4 years (6 KORs and 4 PRs). 2004: Hall scored 2 KOR-TDs for the 2nd-straight year and Tynes made 2 50-yard FGs in his 1st NFL season...KC also set single-season franchise records in KORs (75) and KOR yards (1,820)...LS Kendall Gammon made the Pro Bowl. 2003: Gansz's units excelled, leading the NFL with 4 special teams TDs, as Hall scored 2 KORs and 2 PRs for TDs, en route to his 2nd-straight Pro Bowl appearance...Hall became the 1st player in NFL history to record a KOR-TD in 4 straight games...His KOR-TD in the divisional playoff game vs. Indianapolis gave him 5 overall returns on the season...Hall also broke a single-season franchise record with 2,446 combined net yards...KC led the league in both punt return avg. (16.4) and kick return avg. (25.4), the 1st team to do so since Washington in 1995...The 16.4 punt return avg. broke a 43-year-old team record...The units blocked 2 FGs, both coming in the same game at San Diego (11/20/03)...Current Ravens LB Gary Stills earned a special teams spot on the Pro Bowl squad. 2002: Hall made his 1st Pro Bowl appearance after 3 special teams returns (2 PRs and 1 KOR)...KC's special teams also blocked a FG. 2001: Gansz joined the Chiefs as special teams coach...The team blocked 2 punts and partially blocked another.
1998-99: (with Oakland) In his 1st years in the NFL, Gansz tutored special teams standouts WR Desmond Howard, DB Darrien Gordon and LB Napoleon Kaufman in 2 seasons as the Raiders' special teams coach...Coached in the 1999 Senior Bowl.
1993-97: (with U. of Houston) Spent 5 years as the TEs and ST coach...The Cougars established a single-season school record in 1996 for highest KOR average...Houston's 87-yard punt return vs. SMU set another school record en route to the Conference-USA championship and a trip to the Liberty Bowl vs. Syracuse.
1992: (with NY/NJ Knights) Spent 1 year in the World League (now NFL Europe) coaching special teams for the Knights, which led the league with 4 special teams scores...Gansz's ST units led the league in punt returns, KORs and kickoff coverage.
1990-91: (with Army) Tight ends/special teams coach at West Point.
1988-89: (with U. of Pittsburgh) 1988: Worked with Pitt's O-line and special teams units. 1989: Worked with Panthers DBs and special teams.
1987: (with U. of Kansas) Launched coaching career as a GA working with Jayhawks WRs.
PERSONAL: Was a 4-year DB for The Citadel, before graduating with a bachelor of arts in history (1985)...Gansz's father, Frank Sr., who coached 24 years in the NFL, including 2 as Kansas City's head coach (1987-88), retired at the end of the 2001 season after 24 years coaching in the NFL...The younger Gansz faced his father only once, when the Chiefs defeated the Jaguars 30-26 on 12/30/01 in Jacksonville...Gansz Sr. was named the NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year twice (1989, 1999)...Gansz attended the Marine Military Academy (Harlingen, TX).
COACHING BACKGROUND: 1987 (Kansas); 1988-89 (Pittsburgh); 1990-91 (Army); 1992 (NY/NJ Knights WL); 1993-97 (Houston); 1998-99 (Oakland Raiders); 2001-05 (Kansas City Chiefs); 2006 (Baltimore Ravens)
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The Ravens signed guard/tackle Marshal Yanda to a three-year contract earlier Wednesday morning. The offensive lineman is the first of seven draft picks to sign heading into training camp. McNair Charges DroppedlonA.D.WiA12Da7or0aAAbbr7onA12NoYear
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Steve McNair is featured in a special from NFLPlayers.com, which writes that while he may not be the Ravens' quarterback of the future, he certainly is the leader of the present. | 