Raheem Morris Brings 3 More Rams Coaches to Falcons
Now over a week into his tenure as Atlanta Falcons head coach, Raheem Morris continues to add pieces to his coaching staff.
The Falcons announced several hirings Saturday, including secondary coach Justin Hood, defensive assistants Lance Schulters and John Timu, senior offensive assistant Ken Zampese, pass game specialist/game management Tim Berbenich and offensive assistants Nick Jones and K.J. Black.
Following his trend of seeking consistency, Morris hired three staffers who were with him in Los Angeles - Berbenich, Jones and Black.
Jun 14, 2023; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris during minicamp at Cal Lutheran University.
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Berbenich, who has over 20 years of experience as an NFL assistant coach, assisted the Rams with situational management, per The Athletic.
He'll have a similar role in Atlanta, but with the added responsibility of pass game specialist.
Jones will be the assistant offensive line coach and is a familiar face not only for Morris but Falcons offensive linemen Chris Lindstrom, Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary, as he spent 2020 in Atlanta working with the offensive line via the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
Black worked closely with the quarterbacks in Los Angeles, where he coached alongside new Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, previously the Rams' quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator.
He boasts an impressive quarterbacking resume, having starred collegiately at Prairie View A&M, where he earned Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2009.
Sticking with the theme of continuity is Schulters, who didn't coach in 2023 but was last a defensive assistant with the Rams. He also played with Morris at Hofstra.
The support staff of Berbenich, Jones, Black and Schulters join Robinson and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake as former Rams assistants on Morris's staff.
Morris also hired several coaches from the Los Angeles Chargers, including Timu, defensive line coach Jay Rodgers, tight ends coach Kevin Koger and pass game specialist Chandler Whitmer.
As for internal continuity, Morris retained several top assistants, headlined by special teams coordinator Marquice Williams, assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray, offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, running backs coach Michael Pitre and quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates, who served as receivers coach last season.
Toss in that Morris finished the 2020 season as Atlanta's interim head coach, and the Falcons almost feel as if they've come full circle - all the while hoping for better results.
