Falcons to Hire Rams Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris As Head Coach
NFL coaching search season is now in full swing, with multiple jobs across the NFL opening over the last few days, most recently including the New England Patriots, who just parted ways with Bill Belichick.
And with so many jobs now open, it comes as no surprise that Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was at the forefront of discussions as a potential candidate across the league.
Now, after multiple interviews, that saga has come to a close, with the Atlanta Falcons set to hire Morris as their new head coach.
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The Falcons recently fired their previous head coach Arthur Smith after three seasons with the team.
And while other openings like the Panthers, Chargers and Commanders were certainly intriguing options, his previous connection to the franchise was ultimately a deciding factor.
Morris was with the Falcons from 2015-2019 as the assistant head coach and passing game coordinator, before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2020. After the Falcons fired head coach Dan Quinn that season, Morris then took over as the interim head coach, leading the Falcons to a 4-7 record after Quinn started 0-5.
The Hofstra graduate was also the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, and the interim head coach in Atlanta in 2020 following the firing of Dan Quinn.
While leading the Buccaneers, Morris went 17-31 and in 11 games. Overall, Morris has posted a 21-38 record in the league with no division wins.
In 2023, Morris led the Los Angeles Rams defense to No. 19, allowing 340.3 yards per game, the No. 24 passing defense allowing 234.6 yards through the air per contest, and the No. 12 rushing defense allowing an average of 105.7 ground yards per game.
The Rams finished No. 24 in scoring defense, allowing 22.3 points per game on average.
