Falcons add new DBs coach Jon Hoke, OLBs coach Ted Monachino

We’re edging ever closer to Atlanta having a fully baked coaching staff, with two more moves on the defensive side apparently imminent.

Per NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Maryland defensive coordinator Jon Hoke and Bears outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino will be joining up in a defensive backs coach role and outside linebackers coach role, respectively. This represents a pair of experienced hires for Dean Pees, who has been prioritizing that in assembling his staff.

The Falcons made it official this evening:

Hoke was the Maryland defensive coordinator over the past two seasons and has a ton of experience in college, but he was also a longtime NFL defensive backs coach, including in the not-too-distant past. Hoke served as the Buccaneers defensive backs coach from 2016-2018 (notably as part of a staff for some not-so-great defenses), Bears from 2009-2014, and Texans from 2002-2008. Pees is hoping that experience will be valuable for what promises to be a very young secondary.

Monachino, meanwhile, was a senior defensive assistant and outside linebackers coach for the Bears the past two seasons and was the Ravens outside linebackers coach for the Ravens from 2010-2015, where he overlapped with Pees. He was also the Colts defensive coordinator from 2016-2017, which means he’s yet another assistant with experience as a coordinator. There’s no question that the Falcons are hoping all this experience helps them mold a defense that’s already skewing younger and will likely get a massive infusion of draft picks and undrafted free agents in the coming months.

Welcome both to the Falcons, and we’ll hope they’ll both prove to be great hires.