The pieces are in place for the Atlanta Falcons to really shake up the head coaching carousel this offseason. Now that Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot are out and Matt Ryan is the one calling the shots, it's on him to spearhead the franchise's search for a new head coach and general manager.
As a former MVP, Ryan is well aware of the effect this coaching search will have on the development of Michael Penix Jr., but he's not letting that restrict the Falcons' search. While addressing the media during his introductory press conference, he revealed they aren't insistent upon hiring an offensive-minded head coach.
Matt Ryan not leaning toward an offensive-minded head coach, he says.
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) January 13, 2026
"Kirby Smart down the road, he does pretty good from the defensive side."
The Falcons have cast a wide net in their coaching search thus far, which backed up Matty Ice's claim. He said the goal in Atlanta is to hire the best possible head coach, regardless of speciality, which frankly, is a refreshing way to look at a coaching search for a team with a roster with this much talent.
Matt Ryan confirms Falcons aren't only looking at offensive-minded head coaching candidates
In conveying his point, the four-time Pro Bowler pointed to Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, who comes from a defensive background and is one of the best coaches in college football. Not every defensive-minded head coach is Raheem Morris, and it seems like Ryan is aware of that.
Three of their six head coaching interviews were with offensive-minded coaches in Klint Kubiak, Kevin Stefanski, and Mike McDaniel. Two were with defensive minds in Aden Durde and Anthony Weaver, while Harbaugh comes from a defensive background, he is more of a CEO-style head coach.
However, they requested interviews with five other defensive-minded coaches, including two with prior head coaching experience in Vance Joseph and Robert Saleh. If they hire a defensive coach, the odds of keeping Jeff Ulbrich in Atlanta for another year increase, especially if Saleh gets the call.
In the modern NFL, you don't need to hire an offensive guru to lead an elite offense. Last offseason, the New England Patriots hired Mke Vrabel to get the culture right after the Jerod Mayo fiasco, who brought ex-Patriots' OC Josh McDaniels as his play-caller to get Drake Maye's development on track.
With that said, the offense grossly underperformed in 2025, so bringing in someone who can utilize this offense's weapons creatively is imperative—even if they're not the head coach.
In all honesty, as long as the next coach wins football games and is able to assemble a strong coaching staff and unite the locker room, I don't think the fanbase will care whether or not they call plays for the offense or defense.