The Atlanta Falcons have chosen Raheem Morris as their new head coach.

 

 

 

 

 

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. Raheem Morris will take over as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, the team announced on Thursday. The designation “interim” will no longer apply.

Prior to delving into Morris’s complete past, let us fast-forward to October 12, 2020. On that day, Morris was appointed the Falcons’ acting head coach, following the team’s dismissal of Dan Quinn. The Falcons’ 2020 campaign had 11 games left at the moment. Under Quinn, Atlanta went 0–5, and when Morris took over temporarily, they went 4–7.

Morris is essentially welcomed back, just better. Being the first black full-time head coach in team history, Morris also creates history.

Morris released a statement saying, “I am pleased for the chance for my family and I to return to Atlanta as the Falcons head coach.” “We have personal knowledge of Atlanta’s exceptional organization and the significance of this team to the community and its supporters. I am so grateful to Arthur Blank for his guidance and for the organization’s faith in me to assist in leading this group. I am really grateful to the Rams organization for the chance and experience I had with the team. The Rams are a first-rate organization in every way, from Sean McVay to Kevin Demoff, Les Snead, and the Kroenke family. We had a great experience in Los Angeles; we enjoyed the fans, and we are certain that the Rams have a bright future ahead of them.”

After three seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, Morris is back in Atlanta. The Rams finished 12-5, 5-12, and 10-7 in that span of 2021–2023. With a defense that ranked No. 6 in running yards allowed, No. 22 in passing yards allowed, and No. 17 in total yards allowed, the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2021.

Morris had spent six years in Atlanta prior to it. In 2015, he began working for the organization as the pass game coordinator and assistant head coach for the Falcons. In 2016, he replaced the second part of his title with “wide receivers coach,” and from 2017 to 2019, he added “passing game coordinator.” Morris received a promotion to defensive coordinator in 2020. As mentioned earlier, after five games, he took over as head coach in an acting capacity.

Morris led the Falcons to their last winning and postseason seasons from 2016 to 2017. The New England Patriots defeated the Falcons in the 2016 Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Falcons in the divisional round of the next season.

Before moving to Atlanta in 2015, Morris spent three years as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011. He also worked for three years as the defensive backs coach for the Washington Redskins. Morris led the Buccaneers to a 17-31 record. After two seasons as the defensive backs coach, he was promoted to head coach.

In 2006, Morris took a year off from the NFL to work as Kansas State’s defensive coordinator. Given that he had been a member of the Buccaneers before joining the NCAA, that divided up his time there.

Morris did, in fact, begin his professional career with the Atlanta Falcons. His 2002 league debut was as the defensive quality control coach. In 2003, he served as the defensive assistant, and from 2004 to 2005, he was the assistant defensive backs coach.

Four additional years of undergraduate coursework were required beforehand: one year at Cornell University and three at his old mater, Hofstra University.

Morris was born in Irvington, New Jersey, on September 3, 1976. He played safety while attending Hofstra University.

After splitting with Arthur Smith on January 8, the Falcons started looking for a new head coach right away, interviewing a total of 14 applicants. Smith went 7-10 every year from 2021 to 2023, finishing his three seasons in Atlanta with a total record of 21-30.