The Atlanta Falcons couldn't let the New York Giants have all the fun after hiring John Harbaugh. They were down in the dumps after missing out on Harbaugh a few days ago, but Matt Ryan and the Falcons were able to move swiftly and hire Kevin Stefanski to be the franchise's 19th head coach.
ESPN sources: the Atlanta Falcons are finalizing a deal to hire Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach. The two-time NFL Coach of the Year flew to Atlanta on Saturday, and now will stay on to take over the Falcons’ head coaching job. pic.twitter.com/1Kc4MKygos
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2026
After some reports surfaced earlier, Stefanski was believed to be the early favorite, and they were able to agree to a deal. The Falcons conducted their second interview with the 43-year-old earlier today, and they were clearly impressed enough to act swiftly so he wouldn't take any other visits.
Stefanski was supposed to interview with the Titans tomorrow and Ravens and Dolphins later this week, but the Dirty Birds managed to win out. Stefanski was one of the most coveted head coaching candidates this cycle, and despite some red flags, is an immediate upgrade over Raheem Morris.
Falcons are officially hiring Kevin Stefanski to be their new head coach
As a first-time executive who could also end up hiring a rookie GM, Stefanski was always the apple of Ryan's eye. The front office desired an experienced coaching candidate, especially someone with the innovative offensive mind and play-calling prowess to help develop Michael Penix Jr. into a star.
Stefanski recorded a 45-56 record in six seasons as the head coach of the Browns. but still managed to take them to the playoffs twice. He is one of the more successful coaches in Cleveland, but was ousted at the end of the season because of a growing rift with Jimmy Haslam and GM Andrew Berry.
Ownership and he were not on the same page at the end of his tenure in Cleveland, most notably with the Deshaun Watson trade. That set the franchise back years, which led to Stefanski leading the Browns to an 8-26 record across the last two seasons in a horrible situation with bad ownership.
Luckily, he'll be entering a much superior situation in Atlanta. Between Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, he'll be equipped with significantly more offensive talent and a promising young QB. The defense is also in a solid spot, and it's being reported he may stick with Jeff Ulbrich as DC.
This is not the most popular move for some, but surviving the ineptitude of the Browns has to count for something. Here's hoping that Stefanski can do what Morris never could and assemble a solid staff to maximize the talent at his disposal and break this franchise's playoff drought.