'Historic Day!' Falcons Hire Coach Raheem Morris: Arthur Blank, Terry Fontenot Comment
The Atlanta Falcons officially announced Raheem Morris as their head coach Thursday night, ending a search that spanned nearly three weeks and included 14 different candidates.
Morris is the Falcons' 19th head coach, but the franchise's first of African American descent.
The hiring marks a return to Atlanta for Morris, who capped off a six-year run with the Falcons as the interim head coach for 11 games after Dan Quinn's firing in 2020.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank and general manager Terry Fontenot each delivered statements in a press release Thursday night, starting with Blank.
"This is a historic day for the Atlanta Falcons – after a comprehensive search we are thrilled to welcome Raheem Morris back to Atlanta as the team's new head coach," Blank said.
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and general manager Terry Fontenot.
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Morris ventures back to Atlanta after three years as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator, a tenure headlined by winning the Super Bowl in 2021.
The 47-year-old Morris was one of four candidates to receive a second interview, joining recently fired New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
Morris ultimately became Atlanta's top option as the process unfolded.
"With 26 years of experience in the NFL, including the last three in an outstanding organization that has won our league's championship in that time, Raheem emerged from a field of excellent candidates and is the right leader to take our team into the future," Blank said.
Fontenot issued similar thoughts, dubbing it "one of the most thorough and comprehensive searches" that included "many incredible candidates" before deciding on Morris.
This marks Morris's third head coaching opportunity, as he went 17-31 across three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-2011 and went 4-7 as Atlanta's interim in 2020.
Morris's career record of 21-38 is uninspiring on paper, but Blank feels he's a much different coach with a greater understanding of the nuances that come with the position - even compared to when Atlanta interviewed Morris for the same role before hiring Smith.
"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 has helped him develop into an even more prepared coach in all aspects of the game," Blank said.
"I believe his leadership skills have grown and his understanding of what it takes to have a highly collaborative one-team culture are now at a much higher level."
So, what's next?
Fontenot and Morris will report directly to Blank, bypassing CEO Rich McKay, who's no longer involved in day-to-day football operations.
The Falcons have finished 7-10 in three consecutive seasons. They've won seven games in five of the last six seasons, the lone omission being the 2020 season in which Quinn and Morris guided them to a 4-12 record.
Atlanta hasn't made the playoffs since the 2017 season. When he fired Smith, Blank said the plan is to compete in 2024.
With Morris in the fold, Fontenot feels strongly the Falcons can do exactly that.
"I'm beyond excited to work side-by-side with Raheem in bringing a championship to Atlanta," Fontenot said. "Raheem is the right fit for our team, culture, and shared vision for success in Atlanta, and I cannot wait to start working with him and have his energy in our building."
