Atlanta Falcons extend OC Dirk Koetter’s contract

Dec 11, 2011; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

According to a report, Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter has removed his name from head coaching consideration for other teams.

Dirk Koetter has signed a contract extension with the Atlanta Falcons, a deal which will keep him in Atlanta for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

This doesn’t really add much to the Falcons as a team, but having job security for your offensive coordinator is a really big deal. Not having to worry about your OC potentially leaving after the season certainly eases the mind of Thomas Dimitroff and the rest of the Falcons front office. Coming up with a contingency plan is time consuming and expensive, and the mental toll it could take is just not worth the headache.

Koetter has done a lot of really good things in his one season so far in Atlanta. It’s a miracle that the Falcons offense has been as good as it’s been without much of a running game at all. Dirk has also added screen passes in a big way to the Atlanta offense, something that had been missing for the previous two years. And his willingness to put the ball in Ryan’s hands and let him throw the ball deep down the field has been just as, if not more, important.

For only two days, Falcons fans were slightly concerned if their offensive wizard was going to be moving along after one magic season. Turns out, Koetter will have at least two more seasons to work that magic in Atlanta. And let’s be honest, wouldn’t you rather call plays for an offense featuring Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez, than try to rebuild the lowly Kansas City Chiefs?