Report: Falcons hiring Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator
The Atlanta Falcons are hiring Kyle Shanahan as their offensive coordinator, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Falcons don't currently have a head coach, but according to Schefter, Shanahan and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn have planned on being a package deal and the Falcons are expected to hire Quinn as head coach once the Seahawks' season ends following Super Bowl XLIX.
It was first reported earlier this week that Quinn had emerged as the favorite for the Falcons' head coaching job. Quinn will be allowed to conduct interviews with teams next week, the first of two weeks before the Super Bowl is played on Feb. 1.
Shanahan served as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns this season but parted ways with the team earlier this month amid reported friction between Cleveland's coaching staff and front office.
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The Browns finished the season ranked 23rd in the NFL in total offense under Shanahan. The team switched from veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer to rookie first-round pick Johnny Manziel late in the year.
Before joining the Browns, Shanahan spent the previous four seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins and the two seasons before that as the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans.
Quinn has been the Seahawks' defensive coordinator the past two seasons. Seattle has finished No. 1 in total defense in each of Quinn's two years, allowing 273.6 and 267.1 yards per game in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
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The Falcons fired head coach Mike Smith at the conclusion of the regular season after Atlanta went 6-10 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. The team finished eighth in the NFL in total offense this season under offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, averaging 378.2 yards per game.
- Ben Estes
