Raheem Morris was appointed head coach of the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday.
Morris last worked as Atlanta’s interim head coach three years ago, following Dan Quinn’s firing after the team’s 0–5 start. Morris’s record as Atlanta’s interim coach was 4-7, and Arthur Smith was brought in to take over. Smith was let go by the Falcons following three 7–10 seasons.
Morris is a respected member of the league and hails from the Los Angeles Rams, where he was the defensive coordinator for three great seasons. Both sides of the ball have been trained by him.
He was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, making him the first head coach that owner Arthur Blank has ever appointed with prior NFL head coaching experience. When he was hired by Tampa, he was 32 years old and a young head coach.
After interviewing 14 candidates and holding additional follow-up interviews, including one with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Atlanta has concluded its search.
After a closer examination, Michael Rothstein of the Falcons provides answers to two significant queries regarding Morris’ hire, including what will happen as quarterback. Draft analyst Matt Miller relates the news to the draft as national reporter Dan Graziano discusses what he’s hearing about the hire and the reason it wasn’t Belichick. Mike Tannenbaum, a front office analyst, finally assigns a grade to the hire.
Rothstein: Quite a bit. Since his departure after the 2020 season, the roster has been nearly entirely replaced. Of the players he left behind, only kicker Younghoe Koo, left tackle Jake Matthews, right guard Chris Lindstrom, right tackle Kaleb McGary, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, and cornerback AJ Terrell are still under contract through 2024.
Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot will now report directly to Blank rather than CEO Rich McKay, the Falcons stated. It has been stated by Blank that McKay will “no longer be involved in day-to-day football operations.”
Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the practice grounds may be the only things that remain the same in his eyes.
