The Atlanta Falcons hired Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as their head coach Thursday night.
The news of the Falcons hiring comes after an intensive search in which the team held interviews with 14 other coaching candidates, some including former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, ex-Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, and former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.
"This is a historic day for the Atlanta Falcons," Falcons team owner Authur Blank said in a statement released by the franchise. "We are thrilled to welcome Raheem Morris back to Atlanta as the team's new head coach. Raheem emerged from a field of excellent candidates and is the right leader to take our team into the future."
"His time in LA has given him an enhanced perspective on everything from personnel, team operations, game planning, working with an outstanding offensive staff, and many other things that have helped him develop into an even more prepared coach in all aspects of the game. His leadership skills have grown, and his understanding of what it takes to have a highly collaborative one-team culture is much higher," Blank added.
Morris was one of the coaches who had a second interview with the team along with legendary head coach Bill Belichick.
Many believed that Belichick was the favorite in Atlanta. However, some within the organization saw his hiring as a "short-term play" and that there were many "hurdles" that couldn't be cleared, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.
Now Morris would return to Atlanta after spending time with them after they fired Dan Quinn midway through the 2020 season. Morris went 4-7 but was not given the full-time job with the Falcons, who went with Author Smith instead.
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The Atlanta Falcons: Morris' Intensive Resume
Morris has quite the resume, which includes stops in a head coaching role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009- 2011. Where he had a winning season in 2010 with the Buccaneers going 10-6.
Before taking the job in Atlanta, Morris had different roles, including a stop in Washington as a defensive backs coach. The Rams saw great success with Morris as defensive coordinator, helping them win Super Bowl LVI in his first season and helping ignite the Rams' defense this season, which led to a playoff berth.
Now, he would be tasked with improving a defensive unit that features All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III, cornerback A.J. Terrell, and defensive lineman Grady Jarrett. Along with talented players on offense including running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier along with pass catchers such as Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
The news came around the same time as the Carolina Panthers filled their head coaching vacancy with Dave Canales, and the Los Angeles Chargers filled theirs with former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh a day prior.
The Falcons finished the 2023 NFL season going 7-10. In three seasons, Authur Smith went 21-30, failing to reach the playoffs in each season.
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