Atlanta Falcons new coaching hire causes major front office changes
By Nick Halden
The news of the Atlanta Falcons hiring Raheem Morris was quickly followed by the news of a front office shake-up. Arthur Blank will now manage Terry Fontenot and Morris with Rich McKay taking on a new role. Rich will remain CEO of AMB Sports and Entertainment. However, he will no longer be managing the team as he has been it appears. Owner Arthur Blank will have a more direct approach with the new hire and current GM Terry Fontenot.
The #Falcons say Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot will report directly to owner Arthur Blank on all football matters.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 26, 2024
Rich McKay remains CEO of AMB Sports and Entertainment. Greg Beadles remains team president and will continue overseeing all day-to-day business operations.
Rich stepping into a lesser role with the team comes as a bit of a shock for this Atlanta fanbase. It was speculated by many that Atlanta's failure to hire Bill Belichick was due to what this meant for Rich McKay. Whatever the reasoning behind the failure to land Bill, things have worked out for the better for the Falcons and their fans.
Atlanta is empowering Morris and Fontenot to work together as a duo and this team run as it should. This doesn't mean that perhaps Arthur Blank might not have the final say on some decisions. However, McKay has been removed from the equation giving Atlanta's internal structure a far more stable appearance from the outside.
The hiring of Morris and McKay stepping down both come as big surprises for Atlanta fans. It had been speculated by many that Bill Belichick was all but hired and set to be the next head coach for the Falcons.
While it does seem that Arthur Blank favored the veteran coach early, the owner did the right thing for his fanbase. Blank did a complete search and hired who he believed was the best fit for the Falcons moving forward. It shows growth from Blank as an owner and clearly gives the team great flexibility as to how they build out the roster and coaching staff.
It gives Terry Fontenot his due respect and control as well, considering what he has accomplished with this roster. Fontenot would likely have been pushed out or into a far lesser role if the team added Belichick.
This move is a win for the Atlanta Falcons fanbase and franchise that fixes the power structure and gives Morris and Fontenot their best chance to build a sustainable winning style in Atlanta.