In an announcement that confirmed rumors of the past two weeks, Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti informed players at a team meeting Wednesday morning that Brian Billick will return as head coach in 2006. There have been strong indications from both players and assistants that Billick would be back for an eighth season. One player contacted Monday by ESPN.com who also had been interviewed by Ravens management about Billick's ability to lead the team back to the playoffs said then that the coach "already [seemed] to know something about his future." Other sources within the team said Billick had been apprised as long as two weeks ago that he and his staff would likely return. Billick, 51, has a 67-51 record, including playoff games, since taking over the Ravens in 1999. He has a year left on his contract. "We have an ongoing and extensive process to find ways to win," Bisciotti said in a statement. "This included a thorough evaluation of Brian Billick. Collectively, we concluded that continuing with Brian as head coach gives us the best opportunity to win."