Why Falcons Bypassed Texans’ Bobby Slowik in Head Coach Search

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was one of the Atlanta Falcons’ favorite candidates for the head coaching job - so why’d Arthur Blank and staff not follow through?

The Atlanta Falcons’ second head coaching interview with Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, which took place Jan. 25 in Falcons owner Arthur Blank’s house, lasted 90 minutes longer than originally scheduled.

All the while, former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reportedly believed he was the favorite to fill the Falcons’ head coaching vacancy.

And yet, when Atlanta’s decision-making contingency of Blank, general manager Terry Fontenot, then-CEO Rich McKay and several others made their decision that afternoon, neither Slowik nor Belichick held the winning lottery ticket - that title was held by Raheem Morris.

The Falcons’ reasoning for denying Belichick the opportunity to become the NFL’s all-time winningest head coach has been well-documented, starting with a potential power struggle between him and the front office.

But why say no to Slowik, a promising 36-year-old offensive mastermind who helped lead C.J. Stroud to the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2023?

Atlanta first met with Slowik on Jan. 21, and NFL Network reported the braintrust walked away “very impressed.”

A lengthy follow-up ensued, and Slowik again performed well - but the Falcons fell in love with Morris’s energy and self improvement since his 11-game stint as interim head coach in 2020.

And so, while Slowik showed well during the interviews - he was reportedly the Falcons’ third choice, behind Morris and now-Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald - he evidently didn’t show well enough.

“They liked (Slowik) but were worried about losing out on Morris, who was due to interview with the Seahawks,” ESPN reported. “After Slowik left, Blank and the Falcons execs compared notes. Morris was the unanimous first choice.”

The report confirms Blank’s Feb. 9 proclamation that Morris simply won the battle for the job vacated by Arthur Smith.

“It was all 14 candidates – I would not say against each other – but competing with each other,” Blank said. “We selected the one that we thought for a whole variety of reasons was the best choice for us.”

Nevertheless, Slowik gave the Falcons’ brass a lot to think about - and rightfully so.

Slowik inherited an offense that ranked 31st in yards and 30th in both points and giveaways in 2022. In just one year with Slowik as offensive coordinator, the Texans improved to No. 12, No. 13 and No. 1 in those three categories, respectively.

Houston's rushing offense ranked No. 20 in attempts and No. 22 in yards, a stark contrast from Atlanta's, which ranked No. 3 and No. 9 this season. 

But under Slowik and Stroud, the Texans' offense finished No. 12 in pass attempts and touchdowns, No. 7 in passing yards and No. 2 in interceptions.

Rookie quarterbacks often come with the risk of being turnover-prone. Stroud threw 12 interceptions in 25 college starts. He threw only five in his 19 starts during his rookie campaign.

In a league trending more towards young offensive-minded coaches, Slowik seems the ideal poster child - but after following that path with Smith three years prior, Blank opted for Morris, a 47-year-old veteran defensive coordinator with three-and-a-half years of head coaching experience.

And while no practices have been coached or games played, Fontenot and the rest of the Falcons’ staff has no regrets on the decision to hire Morris.

“Step one coming out of the season, hire the right head coach, hire the right leader of men, and I'm very excited about that,” Fontenot said March 26. “I know we did that with Raheem. He's special.”

Ultimately, no one hired Slowik to be a head coach in 2024. With just one season under his belt as an offensive coordinator, other teams may also have felt it was a year too soon.

If Slowik replicates the success in 2024 he had with the Texans in 2023, he won't get passed over again next year.