Falcons hire Rams’ defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as Head Coach
On Thursday, the Atlanta Falcons chose Raheem Morris, the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, as their head coach. Morris, 47, beat over competitors such as Bill Belichick for the job. Atlanta interviewed 14 candidates in total, including former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh (currently with the Los Angeles Chargers). Earlier Thursday, the Falcons stated that they had conducted a second interview with Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik for the head coaching position. Morris, Belichick, and Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero each had two interviews.
Morris also interviewed with the Chargers, Panthers, Washington Commanders, and Seattle Seahawks for open positions. This will be Morris’ second stint as a full-time head coach. He led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, during which time they went 17-31. Morris formerly worked for Atlanta from 2015 until 2020. He started as the pass game coordinator and added wide receivers coaching to his responsibilities in 2016. He was moved to defensive coordinator prior of the 2020 season, and after the Falcons dismissed Dan Quinn following a 0-5 start, Morris served as interim head coach for the remainder of the season, guiding them to a 4-12 record.
In three seasons as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, he led his team to rank 17th, 19th, and 20th in total defense in the league. During his time with the Rams, the team won Super Bowl LVI. After a second interview, Belichick was seen as a front-runner for the position. It’s unclear where the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach will be in 2024. The Commanders and Seahawks, the only clubs with open head-coaching positions, have not interviewed Belichick.
