It took the Atlanta Falcons over two weeks to find their new head coach, ultimately giving the job to former Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris after interviewing 14 different candidates.
Morris has a wealth of experience in a multitude of different coaching roles. It’s no surprise that there was an outpouring of support once Atlanta named him the 19th head coach in franchise history. Count San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan among those buying into Morris.
“Oh, it’s way past due,” said Shanahan. “Raheem’s one of the best coaches I’ve been with. I got to work with him earlier in my career in Tampa. When I was young I was trying to get my dad to hire him as a D-Coordinator. He ended up becoming a head coach so fast. Then I got a chance to work with him in Washington. Then Atlanta, he actually was on defense.”
Morris’ resume includes stints coaching both sides of the ball, which made him appealing to Shanahan.
“He got to come work with me on offense for a year. The fact that he was on defense his whole career and can came to be our receiver coach, it was unbelievable how cool he was. How good he did. Always tried to get him here every single year. But Raheem’s been one of the best. He’s going to hell of an organization, a good situation with good people. I’m really happy for Atlanta that they got him and more than happy for Raheem.”
The Falcons have yet to formally introduce Morris as head coach, but the team gave him a 5-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Saturday.
Head-coaching term updates:
🏈Falcons gave head coach Raheem Morris a five-year contract.
🏈Titans gave head coach Brian Callahan a five-year contract.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 27, 2024
