updated 5:33 p.m. ET Dec. 31, 2007

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Brian Billick never came close to duplicating the success he enjoyed early in his career as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, and it finally cost him his job.

Billick was fired Monday, less than 24 hours after his team concluded a season of high expectations with a disappointing 5-11 record. His entire staff, including defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, also was dismissed.

“I believed that it was time for a change, I believed that we have the nucleus of a team that can get back to the Super Bowl, and we felt that in the next five years we had a better chance with a new coach than leaving Brian in that position,” said owner Steve Bisciotti, who made the decision after consulting with team president Dick Cass and general manager Ozzie Newsome.

Billick won the 2001 Super Bowl in his second season with the Ravens, but since Bisciotti took over full ownership in 2004, Baltimore was 33-33. That included two losing seasons and only one playoff appearance, a one-and-out performance in 2006.

“It’s a gut feeling. I have one job here, and that’s to have a leader that I think gives us the best chance,” Bisciotti said. “We have been losing more than winning lately.”

Billick led the Ravens to a franchise-best 13-3 record in 2006. But Baltimore lost a team-record nine consecutive games this season before ending the skid Sunday with a 27-21 win over Pittsburgh.

Bisciotti said he made the decision to fire Billick hours before kickoff, and carried out the move Monday morning in a meeting at the team’s practice facility.

“He had to make a hard decision, and he did what he believes is best for the Ravens,” Billick said in a statement. “We are friends and will remain friends.”

Billick had three years left on a contract that pays $5 million per season. Bisciotti determined a few weeks ago that he would give Billick a chance to right things in 2008, but changed his mind after talking with Cass, Newsome and other NFL owners.

“We believe that we will be better with fresh blood or we wouldn’t have made this decision,” Bisciotti said. “We obviously wouldn’t fire Brian if we thought we were where we needed to be.”

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Ryan will be considered for the head coaching job, but Newsome said he will “be calling and talking to a lot of people.”

Billick’s nine seasons with Baltimore was tied with Philadelphia’s Andy Reid as the third-longest current run with the same team. He took the Ravens to the playoffs in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006 and finished with an 80-64 record.

“Sometimes the message can get repetitive after a while,” 12-year offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden said.

The Ravens expected to compete for a world championship this season after bringing back almost every starter from last year’s AFC North champions. But injuries and a turnover-prone offense contributed to a complete collapse after a 4-2 start, and Baltimore finished with sole possession of last place in the division for the first time since 1997.

Bisciotti knows there are no guarantees that the Ravens’ next coach will get better results than Billick. But he figured making a change was worth the risk.

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