Falcons' Raheem Morris Will 'Shine,' Hired 'Outstanding' Coordinators, Says Rams Coach Sean McVay
The Atlanta Falcons' coaching staff has several new faces under Raheem Morris - but for Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, many of those faces are familiar.
Morris, who spent the last three years as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator, brought seven assistants with him to Atlanta, where he's taking over for Arthur Smith as head coach.
McVay has long been a vocal proponent of Morris, as have several of his former players.
Beyond their strong personal relationship, McVay has lauded Morris's intellect and in-game adjustments and feels he's well-versed to find success in Atlanta.
"He is so deserving of the job," McVay said. "You guys know he’s one of my closest friends, but he’s a great leader. I think it timed up perfectly for our last three years to be in sync and what an amazing time. What an amazing amount of experiences that we had and can't wait to watch him go shine."
McVay, who's led the Rams to five playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title in seven years, is viewed as one of the league's best at restocking talent on his coaching staff.
Raheem Morris and Sean McVay celebrate the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl in Feb. 2022.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Falcons owner Arthur Blank noted Morris, who was with the Falcons as an assistant for five-plus years and interim head coach for 11 games in 2020, returned to Atlanta with a newfound significance placed on building a quality staff.
Under McVay, the Rams have lost five assistants to head coaching opportunities but have continued to find strong replacements.
In essence, Los Angeles had a staff full of talented coaches - many of whom are now in Atlanta.
Former Rams quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Zac Robinson is now the Falcons' offensive coordinator, while Rams assistant head coach Jimmy Lake is Atlanta's defensive coordinator.
Several others followed, headlined by offensive assistants KJ Black and Nick Jones. Black worked closely with quarterbacks in Los Angeles while Jones will help the offensive line.
The mark of a good staff is shown when opposing teams attempt to poach coaches during the offseason. It's an unintended consequence of building a deep collection of assistants.
Morris doesn't want to lose Robinson or Lake - he hired them for a reason - but if he does, he's placed a clear emphasis on compiling a deep staff.
And McVay, who's seen these coaches more than anybody, believes Morris has done exactly that.
"I think it's an awesome opportunity for those guys to be able to elevate their careers," McVay said. "I know Zac and Jimmy will do an outstanding job as his coordinators. Then you look at KJ and Nick Jones, they'll go and make big time contributions."
The Falcons' influx of Rams coaches wasn't entirely a one-way street.
Atlanta and Los Angeles essentially swapped Dave Ragone for Robinson, as Ragone, previously the Falcons' offensive coordinator, is now the Rams' quarterbacks coach.
Ragone and McVay have known each other since 2015, when they were together on the then-Washington Redskins coaching staff. McVay was the offensive coordinator and Ragone was the quality control coach.
The duo formed a special relationship in Washington, McVay said, and Ragone brings an extensive list of qualities.
McVay listed Ragone's intelligence, capacity for the game, playing background, communication with quarterbacks, experience under Smith, a shared vision and the ability to make long-lasting relationships with players as the key factors in his decision.
Most of all, Ragone is "such a stud," McVay said - and Atlanta's ex-offensive coordinator was in demand elsewhere.
"He had options, so we were fortunate that he chose to come here," McVay said. "And certainly, it helps when you get a chance to work with Matthew Stafford, so I know that was a big part of our recruiting pitch. Matthew deserves a little bit of credit to entice Dave to come and coach for the Rams.
"He's going to be a tremendous asset to us."
Morris retained several members of Smith's prior staff in Atlanta, including special teams coordinator Marquice Williams, offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, running backs coach Michael Pitre and receivers-turned-quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates, among others.
Those faces are familiar. Several others are new.
But if McVay's words are any indication, Morris appears to have surrounded himself with a strong group of assistants to embark on his second full-time head coaching stint.
