Falcon Report

Kevin Stefanski Gets Glowing Endorsement From Super Bowl Winning Coach

Former Super Bowl-winning head coach Gary Kubiak offered a glowing endorsement to the newly named Atlanta Falcons head coach, Kevin Stefanski.
Kevin Stefanski Gets Glowing Endorsement From Super Bowl Winning Coach
Kevin Stefanski Gets Glowing Endorsement From Super Bowl Winning Coach | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

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The Atlanta Falcons officially announced that Kevin Stefanski will take over as their next head coach over the weekend, and the reactions have come pouring in. One glowing endorsement came from Super Bowl-winning offensive playcaller Gary Kubiak. 

Stefanski worked closely with Kubiak during their shared time with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. Stefanski stepped in as the interim offensive coordinator in 2018 before being awarded the full-time position in 2019. His offense finished 8th in the NFL in scoring that season, and he moved to take on the head coach position for the Cleveland Browns in 2020. 

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In his season as offensive coordinator for the Vikings, the team brought Kubiak in as an offensive advisor. The two coaches hail from the Mike Shanahan 'West Coast' offense tree. 

According to the social media account, Falcons Kingdom, the longtime NFL coach had this to say about Stefanski. 

“Kevin’s awesome. That tells you what kind of person Kevin is. He basically let all these new guys in his room and yet he was the boss and he put it together and did a great job with that room. He’s a very bright kid, he’s got tremendous people skills, great communicator, yet he has the ability to be tough in situations that you have to be as an NFL coach, such as running the meeting room, those type of things. He’s got a skillset that says he’s going to be very successful. 

“I think there’s a quality in a good football coach. They’re really good people persons. He’s very excellent in communications, in motivating people. He’s always under control, but yet when it’s time to say, ‘What the hell are we doing here? We have to get this fixed,’ he has no problem with that. 

“He has great command of a room. I heard Coach Kyle Shanahan say this last week. You’re always looking for young coaches that can command the room. Kevin can command the room. People will respect the way he works, the way he handles himself.

“Well, the NFL is hectic. But that’s a strength of his. He can handle a lot of things. You can put a lot of things on his plate. He’s very organized. Very much under control when he operates. Just very confident in his own skin and what he’s being asked to do.”

Kubiak is one of the NFL’s most respected offensive coaches over the last 30 years. 

He won his first Super Bowl in 1994 with the San Francisco 49ers as the team’s quarterback coach. He guided Steve Young to his second career MVP and Super Bowl XXIX MVP for his six-touchdown performance. 

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He then moved on to Denver, where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He remained there for 11 seasons, where he led them to a pair of Super Bowl wins in 1997 and 1998. Over his years with the franchise, his Broncos were one of the NFL’s best offenses. He coached 14 different Pro Bowl Broncos, including running back Terrell Davis, who was named the NFL MVP in 1998.

Kubiak won his fourth Super Bowl, and first as head coach, during the 2015-16 season with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. 

Stefanski only spent a single season with Kubiak, but it proved to a meaningful one. 


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Garrett Chapman
GARRETT CHAPMAN

Garrett Chapman is a sports broadcaster, writer, and content creator based in Atlanta. He has several years of experience covering the Atlanta sports scene, college football, Georgia high school football, recruiting for 24/7 Sports, and the NFL. You can also hear him on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.

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