Matt Raich Explained

Current Team:Indianapolis Colts
Matt Raich
Position:Assistant defensive line coach
Birth Place:Monaca, PA
Pastcoaching:
  • Westminster College (PA) (1993-1994)
    Assistant coach
  • Robert Morris (1996-1998)
    Assistant coach
  • Glenville State College (1999)
    Assistant coach
  • Hildesheim Invaders (1999)
    Defensive coordinator
  • Robert Morris (2000-2002)
    Assistant coach / recruiting coordinator
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (–)
    Offensive assistant
  • Arizona Cardinals (–)
    Defensive assistant
  • Arizona Cardinals (–)
    Linebackers coach
  • Duquesne (2013)
    Linebackers coach
  • Detroit Lions
    Defensive quality control
  • Detroit Lions (–)
    Defensive assistant/defensive ends
  • Cincinnati Bengals
    Defensive assistant/assistant defensive line
  • St. Louis BattleHawks (2020)
    Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach
  • Indianapolis Colts (–)
    Special defensive assistant/assistant defensive line
  • Indianapolis Colts (–present)
    Assistant defensive line
Pastexecutive:
College:Westminster College

Matt Raich is an American football coach currently with the Indianapolis Colts, serving as senior assistant defensive line coach.[1] [2] A 26-year coaching veteran, he has 18 seasons of NFL experience.[3] Raich is a native of Monaca, Pa.[4]

Coaching career

College Coaching (1993-94; 1996-2002; 2013)

Collegiately, Raich coached at Duquesne (2013), Robert Morris (1996-98, 2000-02), Glenville State (1999) and his alma mater, Westminster (Pa.) College (1993-94).

German Federal League (1999)

He coached in the German Federal League in 1999 and served as the defensive coordinator for the Hildesheim Invaders.

NFL Coaching (2002-2012; 2014-18)

Prior to Indianapolis, he coached in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals (2018),[5] [6] Detroit Lions (2014-17),[7] Arizona Cardinals (2007-2012) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2002-06). He won Super Bowl XL with the Steelers at the conclusion of the 2005 season.

Raich started his NFL career as a player personnel intern for Pittsburgh from 2002 to 2003.

St. Louis BattleHawks (2020)

In 2020, Raich served as the co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL[8]

Indianapolis Colts (2020-current)

In 2021, the Colts finished in the top-five in takeaways (33, second), fumble recoveries (14, tied-first) and interceptions (19, tied-third). Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner earned his second career Pro Bowl selection.

In 2020, the Colts defense ranked in the top-10 in various categories, including total defense (332.1 yards per game, eighth), rush defense (90.5 yards per game, second), takeaways (25, tied-fifth) and points per game allowed (22.6, tied-10th). For the first time since 1971, the Colts ranked in the top-five in run defense. For the first time since 2007, Indianapolis finished in the top-10 in total defense.

Buckner also earned Associated Press First Team All-Pro honors in 2020 as he registered a single-season franchise record for most sacks (9.5) by a defensive tackle. Buckner joined Art Donovan (1954-57) and Gene Lipscomb (1958-59) as the only Colts defensive tackles to earn that honor.

!Coaching Career!Team!Position
1993-1994Westminster (Pa.) CollegeAssistant Coach
1996-1998Robert MorrisAssistant Coach
1999Glenville StateAssistant Coach
1999Hildesheim Invaders (German Federal League)Defensive Coordinator
2000-2002Robert MorrisAssistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
2002-2003Pittsburgh SteelersPlayer Personnel Intern
2004-2006Pittsburgh SteelersOffensive Assistant
2007-2008Arizona CardinalsDefensive Assistant
2009-2012Arizona CardinalsLinebackers
2013DuquesneLinebackers
2014Detroit LionsDefensive Quality Control
2015-2017Detroit LionsDefensive Assistant/Defensive Ends
2018Cincinnati BengalsDefensive Assistant/Assistant Defensive Line
2020St. Louis BattleHawks (XFL)Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2020-2021Indianapolis ColtsSpecial Defensive Assistant/Assistant Defensive Line
2022Indianapolis ColtsAssistant Defensive Line

Playing career

Raich played linebacker at Westminster (Pa.) College from 1989 to 1994 and finished as the school's leading tackler. He earned three NAIA All-America Awards and was part of Westminster teams that won 42 of 48 games, including the NAIA National Championship in 1989.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Colts Announce More Additions To 2020 Coaching Staff. 2022-01-20. www.colts.com. en-US.
  2. Web site: Alper. Josh. 2020-02-17. Colts add Matt Raich, Jerrod Johnson to coaching staff. 2022-02-10. ProFootballTalk. en-US.
  3. Web site: The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts. 2022-01-20. www.colts.com. en-US.
  4. Web site: Bires. Mike. Six NFL assistant coaches hail from Beaver County. 2022-01-20. The Times. en-US.
  5. Web site: New Coaches Overview for 2018. 2022-01-20. www.bengals.com. en-US.
  6. Web site: Teryl Austin hires defensive line coach Matt Raich from Lions. 2022-02-10. Detroit Lions. en-US.
  7. Web site: foxsports. 2014-02-04. Lions hire Tony Oden and Matt Raich. 2022-01-20. FOX Sports. en-US.
  8. Web site: 2019-07-08. Jon Hayes adds more key members to XFL St. Louis. 2022-01-20. Pro Football Newsroom. en-US.