Report: Falcons to Hire Saints Director of Pro Scouting Terry Fontenot as Next General Manager

The Atlanta Falcons are expected to hire Saints director of pro scouting Terry Fontenot as their new general manager, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Fontenot has been with the Saints for 16 years, and the past six at his current position. 

Fontenot will replace former GM Thomas Dimitroff, whom the team parted ways with last October in addition to head coach Dan Quinn. Earlier this week, Atlanta tabbed Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith as their next head coach. 

In his role with the Saints, Fontenot was in charge of managing the pro personnel department that included monitoring the waiver wire and supervising the advance scouting of upcoming opponents. 

Before his promotion to assistant general manager, he spent seven seasons as a pro scout where his responsibilities included evaluating and rating current professional players and preparing the club for acquisitions through free agency or the waiver wire, according to the Saints' official website.

Fontenot wasn't always in the front office, though. He was an all-state defensive back at Lagrange High School in Louisiana and played four years at Tulane as a Safety and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business and organizational information technology.

The Falcons finished the 2020 season with a 4-12 record, and haven't made the playoffs since 2017.