It is no secret that Arthur Blank was close to hiring Bill Belichick as his new head coach in 2024, but others within the organization pushed him to hire Raheem Morris.
Now, two years later, Blank is right back in the same spot as before.
His anger toward that situation was made clear by the complete dismantling of the organization (firing Morris and Terry Fontenot, moving Rich McKay away from football operations, etc.). He is now looking to fix things up by bringing in a veteran head coach with proven success.
That is why it was especially huge news when the Baltimore Ravens announced that 18-year head coach John Harbaugh wouldn't be returning for the 2026 season. If you put the pieces together, there has never been a more obvious head coaching target for a franchise looking to return to relevance.
John Harbaugh is exactly the solution Arthur Blank has been looking for
Harbaugh's removal from the Ravens was one of those rumors that you couldn't believe until it happened. And it happened. There is no coach that will garner as much interest as the Super Bowl-winning Ravens coach. He is a legend who can take any team and make them a contender.
This is a once-in-a-generation situation for any head coach-less team, like the Falcons.
Blank thought he had that two years ago with Belichick. The future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach was sitting there for the taking for a franchise that had their hearts ripped out by him in the Super Bowl. And yet, people inside the building were able to persuade the owner away from hiring him.
In the present, it's hard to believe that Belichick is or ever will be in the running for the Falcons' job. But that doesn't mean Blank won't want to go a similar route by hiring none other than Harbaugh.
The Dirty Birds have no shortage of talent. They have just been looking for that leader who can promote consistency and handling success.
Harbaugh has been one of the most consistent coaches in NFL history. He made the Ravens a perennial contender in the AFC. He is the answer to everything this franchise has been searching for since they fired Dan Quinn.
Another reason Blank will vehemently want Harbaugh is that he let his little brother, Jim, get away during their last search. Jim had two interviews with the owner before he took the Chargers' job where he has had tremendous success.
Hiring John would be a slam dunk for the Falcons. He would assemble a strong coaching staff, help the special teams get back on track, and lead them to consistent winning, and could not be any more different than Belichick from a personality standpoint.