Bill Belichick was not selected by Arthur Blank and Atlanta’s search committee to lead the Falcons; instead, Raheem Morris was chosen.
The owner has told us what drove the team to reject Belichick, and based on Blank’s statement, it has nothing to do with internal issues. Morris was the one who turned the Falcons away from Belichick.
During an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Arthur Blank discussed what set Morris apart from the other twelve potential head coach candidates.
“We had a terrific time working with him in Atlanta. It was six years, and while things didn’t finish that way, there was undoubtedly a lot of success throughout that time, according to Blank.
It’s not only that Blank and Morris are acquainted. The club’s new head coach is well-known to many Falcons employees; in fact, he revealed that Rich McKay had hired him four times previously.
“Very good leader; spent a lot of work on both offence and defence. Both players and coaches adored him, Blank added.
Morris worked as a defensive coordinator, interim head coach, receiver, and secondary coach during his initial tenure with the Falcons. That’s a lot of hats to wear and a wealth of expertise to be carrying around like a CEO.
Raheem Morris’ capacity to establish a connection with anyone was one of his strongest points as a candidate. News of his hiring was welcomed by coaches and players alike, and he promptly took advantage of those connections to entice Zac Robinson to Atlanta rather than the other six teams that had openings at offensive coordinator.
“What I saw in those three years in L.A. is that I believe he matured professionally from his working relationship with Les [Snead], organizationally, and from his relationship with coach Sean McVay,” Blank added. “The degree of cooperation between Les and Sean in developing their roster, which I believe is exceptional,”
It’s not absurd, in my opinion, to argue that Raheem Morris’ three years as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams were more beneficial than his three years as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One of the top head coach-general manager teams in the NFL is Sean McVay and Les Snead. It would be odd to not be envious of that dynamic. With Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot, the Falcons appear to have some form of it, but a news conference at the start of the season is very different than a full offseason and season.
“I believe he gained knowledge and abilities that he didn’t fully grasp before leaving for Atlanta. Throughout the interview process, I could tell that they were considering how to assemble a coaching staff that would last even if we were to lose coaches in the future due to success. About him, I’m thrilled,” Blank concluded.
It’s obvious that the Falcons owner thinks highly of Raheem Morris, and he should. Seeing Morris’ news conference made me feel energised and positive, even though I wasn’t physically there.
However, this is a results-driven industry. Morris will face the same kinds of inquiries that surrounded Arthur Smith if the Falcons miss the playoffs in 2024.
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