Three best head coaching candidates for the Atlanta Falcons to have real success
The Atlanta Falcons have some major decisions to make over the course of the 2021 offseason and, perhaps, the biggest is who will be the next head coach.
The Falcons fired Dan Quinn after a putrid 0-5 start to the 2020 season and things didn’t get much better as the team finished with a 4-12 record overall and will now have the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Now, the franchise is focused on finding his replacement and has already put in some interview requests.
As we continue to look at who the Atlanta Falcons might hire for the next head coaching position, the truth is that there are only three candidates who make sense and have a real chance at success. Please notice that Raheem Morris isn’t on this list.
3. Brian Daboll
At the time of this writing, the Falcons have not reached out to Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for an interview but the expectation is that they will before the hiring process is complete.
Daboll has developed Josh Allen well past what most believed was his potential coming into the league and the Bills now have one of the league’s most potent offenses (No. 2 in total offense) under Daboll’s leadership.
Just a few years ago, the Bills relied far too heavily on their defense but now they are among the leaders in offensive production and are a playoff team as a result.
Daboll has the acumen and intelligence to be a successful head coach and would be a homerun hire for the Falcons.
2. Eric Bieniemy
You’ll notice pretty quickly that only offensive minds made our list. Why? Because it’s an era of offensive football.
We can talk all day about how ‘defenses win championships,’ but that phrase simply isn’t true anymore. Look at Eric Bieniemy and that Kansas City Chiefs team if you need proof.
If you had to rely on the Chiefs defense to win you a championship, you’re likely going home empty handed. It’s that offense that paves the way for hardware and Bieniemy is the mastermind running the well-oiled machine.
The Falcons need to adapt to the new era of football and that means bringing in an offensive mind. Bieniemy is one of the brightest offensive minds in the league.
He is going to be a successful head coach and is the rumored No. 1 target for the Atlanta Falcons moving into this offseason. The only question is if the Falcons can get the job done.
1. Joe Brady
Maybe you want to look past this example and I wouldn’t blame you for it, but here’s what Joe Brady can do when it comes to offense:
- 2019 LSU Tigers (with Brady): No. 1 in total offense
- 2020 LSU Tigers (without Brady): No. 35 in total offense
You might argue that has more to do with no Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. I would argue you’re correct, but I would also say that Brady deserves his just due. After all, those guys were on LSU’s roster before and no one knew how to activate them- but he did.
Before he came to LSU, that was an offense of the stone ages. With him, they were the best in the nation.
Even without Christian McCaffrey for most of the season and a brand new quarterback under center, Brady showed promise and improved that offense- despite the massive talent gap the Panthers faced almost every week.
Maybe he shouldn’t be the No. 1 candidate, but anyone who has followed him knows that Brady has had success and that he has the intelligence to make a major impact at the head coaching level. That’s exactly why he’s getting interview requests from basically every franchise with an opening currently, including the Atlanta Falcons.
No matter who the Falcons choose to target, there’s only one direction to go: Offense. Anything other than that would be a complete and utter failure on the part of the franchise.