HUGE CONFLICT: Falcons fans in serious disagreement with management over Arthur Blank choice of Head coach as they prefer young Lions coach as Smith replacement.

A few weeks ago, the Atlanta Falcons’ season came to an extremely sad end, which resulted in the dismissal of head coach Arthur Smith. A wellspring of hope for a better future emerges in the fan base, as is always the case with a coaching change. With regard to interviews, the team reached far and broad, bringing in almost every elite prospect from the NFL on both sides of the ball.
All the signs point to former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick ending up in Atlanta, even though the team hasn’t finished their first round of interviews.

Nevertheless, we wanted to know what the fan base thought about this week’s SB Nation Reacts issue, namely which coaching hire they thought was the best and which they thought was the worst. Let’s see who you cast your votes for.

It’s hardly shocking that Ben Johnson ended up being the team’s top pick among Falcons supporters. The Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator (-6)

It’s hardly shocking that Ben Johnson ended up being the team’s top pick among Falcons supporters. The offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions (-6) is possibly the most intriguing first-round pick for head coach this cycle since he has led veteran quarterback Jared Goff to a career comeback and developed an offensive line that is both potent and well-balanced.

Some people might be surprised to learn that Belichick himself came in second. This doesn’t really surprise me because Darth Hoodie has a strong case—he is one of the best defensive coaches in NFL history, third all-time in victories, and has won six Super Bowls.

My personal favourite, Bobby Slowik, the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans, comes in third. In addition to overseeing a comprehensive makeover of the Texans offence, Slowik made rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud the youngest player in playoff history to win a game. Given Atlanta’s requirements at quarterback and on offence, Slowik appears to be a compelling option.

Raheem Morris, the current defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, who was once the interim head coach of the Falcons, comes in fourth. Although Morris’ first season as head coach wasn’t very successful in terms of wins and losses, he is well-liked by coaches and players around the NFL and has a wealth of expertise on both sides of the ball. In addition, he did a fantastic job this season of transforming one of the NFL’s newest defences into a competitive group.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Bill Belichick, making his second appearance, is the least favourite. Yes, he is both the second-choice candidate and the one that most Falcons supporters do not want to play in Atlanta. The paradox of the fan! Despite all of Belichick’s advantages, the last four seasons have been the worst of his career. Notably, Belichick finished 2021–2023 with just one game more won than Arthur Smith. He is coming off a career-worst four-win season in 2023, which practically cost him his job in New England. At 71, he will also be the oldest head coach hired in NFL history, and it is improbable that he will remain with the team for more than a few seasons.

Raheem Morris is the person that is least favoured. Fans of the Falcons are probably concerned about his history as a head coach and weren’t too thrilled with his time as interim head coach in 2020. If you have any further concerns, please express them in the comments section below!

Ejiro Evero, the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, is the third-least favourite. I have to presume that at this point, he has the divisional opponent and the weakest club in the NFL against him. Even with Carolina’s utter offensive incompetence, Evero’s defence was strong against the run (12th in yards per carry allowed while facing the fifth-highest number of rushing attempts) and excellent against the pass (3rd in yardage, 8th in NY/A).