Meet Raheem Morris: Falcons 'Magnetism, Leadership & Culture - But Can New Coach Win?
Raheem Morris is many things.
Authenticity, leadership and culture-builder are among the words his peers have used to describe him.
The Atlanta Falcons' newest head coach is another.
The Falcons agreed to terms with Morris, previously the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator, on Thursday night. He'll replace Arthur Smith, who was fired Jan. 7 after three consecutive 7-10 seasons.
Morris is Atlanta's 15th head coaching hire and the first of minority descent. The move comes after he had an in-person interview at Falcons owner Arthur Blank's house Tuesday night, which was his second meeting with Atlanta's brass in a four-day timespan.
Blank and Falcons CEO Rich McKay are already well-versed with Morris, who spent 2015-2020 in Atlanta, including one year as pass game coordinator, four as receivers coach and another as defensive coordinator-turned-interim head coach after the firing of Dan Quinn.
During his 11-game stint as Atlanta's head coach, Morris led the Falcons to a 4-7 record after starting 0-5. He received an interview for the job thereafter, but Blank decided to hire Smith.
This time around, Blank's hoping to right his wrongs - and Morris's now-former boss, Rams coach Sean McVay, believes he's equipped with the right attributes to do exactly that.
"He always had such a unique way about leading," McVay said. "The guy has never had a bad day in his life and then you get around him and you're thinking, ‘Yeah, you can't be like this all the time.’ And you're like, ‘Holy… He really is like this all the time.’ He can be demanding on people.
"He's just such a great person."
Character is where it starts with Morris, who should have no issues maintaining Atlanta's strong culture in the locker room, which stayed behind Smith until the bitter end.
McVay called the 47-year-old Morris his big brother, dubbing him a "phenomenal leader, great coach (and) great friend."
Feb 1, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Falcons assistant head coach Raheem Morris smiles as he answers questions at a press conference for Super Bowl LI at Westin Houston Memorial City Hotel.
USA Today Sports
At the end of his time in Atlanta, Morris was heavily endorsed by the locker room, with then-starting quarterback Matt Ryan noting he had tremendous respect from the players.
This respect is a two-way street, starting with Morris's ability to connect with players and continuing with his intellect, per Rams general manager Les Snead.
"Great human being," Snead said. "The guy is coded to respect everyone, to build a relationship with everyone no matter where you’re at in the organization. He’s a highly intelligent human being who happened to choose football, and probably could’ve done a lot of things in life but chose the path of football."
Morris is also a strong teacher. McVay said he possesses an incredibly high capacity for football and can provide information to players in a digestible manner.
The opportunity in Atlanta won't be Morris's first as an NFL head coach; he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-2011, going 17-31 overall. He went 3-13 in his first season and 4-12 in his third with a 10-6 campaign sandwiched in between.
Morris was 33 when he embarked on his first professional head coaching season. He'll turn 48 a few days before the start of the 2024 campaign.
He's been to two Super Bowl's as an assistant, losing one with the Falcons in 2016 but getting revenge as the Rams' defensive coordinator in 2021.
Morris has coached both sides of the ball and been endorsed by McVay, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and several of his star players, including Ryan and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Rams COO Kevin Demoff spent time alongside Morris with the Buccaneers and again in Los Angeles. He's seen Morris evolve - and has an innate understanding of exactly how he's wired.
"He's one of the best leaders and culture builders I've ever been around," Demoff said. "And I was with Raheem in Tampa, but this is the guy who makes your building better. He's the glue guy who brings everybody together, your equipment staff, your training staff, your PR, the building, and the guy can coach."
Demoff pointed to Morris' Super Bowl ring and the development of third-round rookie defensive linemen Kobie Turner and Byron Young, who had nine and eight sacks apiece, respectively.
Statistically, Los Angeles' defense was never overly stout under Morris.
The unit ranked No. 17, 19 and 20 in total yards allowed per game over the past three years and No. 15, 21 and 19 in points allowed. It was top-15 against the run but finished 20th or worse in passing yards allowed in each of Morris's campaigns.
Still, the coaching job put together by Morris this season drew praise from McVay, who said he was pleased with the defense's adjustments and feel for in-game changes.
Los Angeles' defense often started games well, but when it didn't, it found ways to finish strong - led by the schematic tweaks implemented by Morris and staff.
By all accounts, Morris checks several boxes.
He's experienced, spent time around several accomplished head coaches, tasted playoff success, will be heavily respected and supported by the locker room and can win the game inside the game.
But questions persist.
Morris's 21-38 record as a head coach isn't inspiring. The Falcons lost their final five games under his guidance in 2020. His defenses were never dominant.
Yet Morris has something unquantifiable - an unseen intangible merely felt by those around him.
He's different but nuanced, energetic but controlled.
Now, he's Atlanta's next great hope.
"He's got that magnetism about him where you're just saying, 'Something's different about this guy and he's really special,'" McVay said.
