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The Falcons officially named their next head coach on Friday, so that’s the dominant theme in Monday’s edition of Falcoholinks.
It’s official: The Falcons have a new HC
The search for the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons ended on Friday, as Atlanta officially announced the hiring of former Tennessee offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The Falcons have historically shied away from offensive-minded head coaches, but after the tenures of Mike Smith and Dan Quinn, the team has decided to bring in a head coach who can effectively harness Atlanta’s talented offensive group.
A new head coach in Atlanta is another reason why the NFC South is going to be drastically different in 2021.
Candidates for the new staff
With a new coach comes a bevy of new coordinators and coaches, and the rumors are already swirling about who may be brought in to join Arthur Smith’s staff. One of the immediate names linked to Atlanta is Bears passing game coordinator Dave Ragone, who coached alongside Smith in Tennessee.
Another interesting name circulating is former Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees. Pees recently retired, but if the reports are correct, he’s indeed considering coming out of retirement to join Smith in Atlanta.
We’ve also compiled a list of potential hires to round out Arthur Smith’s new staff.
Offensive efficiency
As the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, Arthur Smith ran one of the NFL’s most productive offenses — and it’s one of the primary reasons that he was hired by the Atlanta Falcons.
One of the most impressive aspects of his recent resume was his ability to get the most out of the players on his team, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who had a career year in 2020.
Potential free agents
With the hiring of Arthur Smith, it stands to reason that the Falcons may have somewhat of an inside track on some of the Titans’ pending free agents. There’s some names that might interest Atlanta, as well as some familiar ones.
The Falcoholic Live: New Hire Special
We had the crew from The Falcoholic Live on standby when it appeared that the Falcons were inching toward hiring Arthur Smith, and once the news was confirmed they did their thing. If you didn’t catch the live show you can view the full episode right here.