Raheem Morris previously served as a head coach before joining the coaching staff of the Atlanta Falcons under Dan Quinn in 2015. Despite his experience, Falcons owner Arthur Blank did not believe that Morris was ready to become head coach when the team was interviewing candidates to replace Quinn in 2021. Instead, Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was chosen for the job.
After Smith was fired at the end of the 2023 season following three 7-10 campaigns, the Falcons chose Morris over a six-time Super Bowl champion to fill the position of head coach. This decision was surprising; however, Blank cited Morris’ three years with Sean McVay and Les Snead on the Los Angeles Rams as a key factor in the decision. According to an article by Albert Breer for Sports Illustrated, Blank specifically credits McVay and Snead for Atlanta’s decision to hire Morris over Bill Belichick and many other candidates.
The speaker expressed satisfaction with an individual’s past performance while working in Atlanta, citing a six-year tenure with the team that yielded significant success. Despite this tenure ending on a less positive note, the individual was considered to be a great leader and was respected by coaches and players alike. The speaker recognized that the individual spent a lot of time working with both the offense and defense during their time in Atlanta.
The individual subsequently spent three years in Los Angeles, working with Sean McVay. The speaker believed that this experience was critical in the individual’s professional development as they had the chance to work closely with McVay and learn from his coaching style, structure, and organizational approach. Additionally, working closely with Les Snead helped the individual learn new skills that were not fully developed back in Atlanta, particularly when it comes to building a sustainable coaching staff. The speaker expressed genuine enthusiasm for the individual and believed that they are the right choice to lead the Atlanta Falcons.
Raheem Morris had never served as a full-time defensive coordinator before assuming the role in 2020. Prior to this, his only experience calling plays was during his tenure as head coach of the Buccaneers. In 2021, Morris was brought in by the Rams to replace Brandon Staley, but he did not have a top-ranked defense like his predecessor. Despite this, Morris helped the Rams win a Super Bowl and proved his ability to help players exceed expectations in the 2021 season.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank believes that Morris’ variety of experience in coaching roles, including his experience as a head coach, assistant head coach, passing game coordinator, and wide receivers coach, made him ready to lead a team in 2024. Blank notes that Morris’ versatility will be valuable in working with the many talented players on the Falcons roster, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Morris also brought two coaches from the Rams with him – Zac Robinson and Jimmy Lake – to work on coordinating the offense and defense, respectively.
Blank credits Morris’ experience with Sean McVay and Les Snead as pivotal to his professional growth and readiness to lead the Falcons. Without this experience with the Rams coaching staff, Morris might not have had this opportunity as quickly and in such a favorable situation. Blank also envisions Morris as having the staying power that has characterized coaches in the McVay tree.
