7 familiar faces the Atlanta Falcons could hire if they fire Arthur Smith
All signs point towards Arthur Smith being around for at least another year. Arthur Blank doesn't seem keen on the idea of finding yet another head coach for the Atlanta Falcons.
Blank has waited through some down years and won't want to blow things up and restart. However, if things go South quickly, then he won't hesitate to make the change.
There are plenty of names out there who could be viable candidates to be the head coach of the Falcons, but here are seven candidates who have already been employed by the team.
1. Ryan Nielsen
This is the obvious one. Ryan Nielsen has been an incredible coach for the Falcons. In just one offseason he has turned a chronically bad defense into one of the best in the NFL.
Nielsen is quite obviously a piece of this franchise that you never want to lose. The best way to make sure he doesn't leave is by giving him the highest position—head coach.
2. Raheem Morris
I still strongly believe that the Atlanta Falcons should have given more consideration to naming Raheem Morris as the permanent head coach after the 2020 season.
Morris took over for Dan Quinn when Quinn was fired. He immediately changed the aura of the team and they came out firing. He is an excellent coach who has experience on both sides of the ball.
He went on to be the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams and helped guide them to a Super Bowl. He has been in the position ever since and has not garnered enough attention through each head coaching cycle.
3. Jeff Ulbrich
I have been saying it for years: Jeff Ulbrich is such an underrated coach. After spending some time splitting defensive playcalling with Raheem Morris, Ulbrich took his talents to the New York Jets and completely flipped that defense around.
He took them from being one of the worst to one of the best. We saw it a week ago, his defense continues to play hard despite their offense being completely awful—at least until Sunday.
There is something to be said about how he has rallied his defense. He will find himself with a head coaching job soon and if the Falcons are looking for one then they should take a long look at Ulbrich.
4. Mike LaFleur
The Atlanta Falcons had an all-star coaching staff in 2016,.. and they lost all of them. Mike LaFleur was one of those guys.
The brother of current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has been able to lead his Rams offense to some good numbers. While Sean McVay deserves a lot of credit for their offensive success, LaFleur should not be overlooked.
His brother has had a lot of success in Green Bay so there is no reason to think that he couldn't have success as the head man.
5. Dan Quinn
I might get punched in the face for this one but at least hear me out. Hiring Dan Quinn again isn't the worst idea in the world.
Quinn took the Falcons to the Super Bowl but then his words fell on deaf ears over the succeeding seasons. But this Falcons team is completely different and has a lot of players who have never been led by Quinn.
Dan Quinn has also reinvented himself. He took a year off and completely changed his scheme. Now he plays a lot more man-to-man rather than the bland cover 3 he was known for.
While I am not saying this would be the best option, I don't think it is that bad of an idea. I'll just leave it at that.
6. Ricardo Allen
The former Atlanta Falcons safety has about as round of a skillset as you can have and has seen about everything you can see.
Allen was cut from the Falcons, switched to safety, and became a smart player who was the leader of the Falcons' defense for years. He was never the most athletic player but he was certainly the smartest.
Then when he had a season-ending injury, he devoted himself to learning the other side of the ball with the intention of coaching after his playing days were over. That is what has happened.
Allen started as a special teams assistant with the Bengals last year and is now an offensive assistant. He has all the knowledge.
This could potentially be an under-the-radar hire. He doesn't have much experience coaching but we have seen a few players who have turned into coaches and risen the ranks rather quickly.
7. Deion Sanders
Primetime would be a revered hire in Atlanta. The Falcons legend has taken college football by storm and it has been fun to watch.
While Colorado went through a rough patch to end their season, you could still see the impact Sanders had on that team. It is hard to find a coach who players love more than Deion.
His style of coaching is impossible not to like. Who knows what the NFL thinks of him but if there was a franchise that were to hire him, it would be the Falcons. Plus, then maybe they could bring in both of his talented sons.