01/04/26 09:14:00
Printable Page
01/04 21:13 CST Falcons fire coach Raheem Morris, GM Terry Fontenot hours after
finishing 8-9 season
Falcons fire coach Raheem Morris, GM Terry Fontenot hours after finishing 8-9
season
By CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) --- The Atlanta Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris and general
manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday night, announcing the moves hours after the
team completed its second straight 8-9 finish under Morris and eighth
consecutive losing season.
Morris said after Sunday's 19-17 win over the New Orleans Saints that he
expected to return for a third season. Instead, his 16-18 record was not enough
for him to keep his job after the year began with optimism that the Falcons
would reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
"I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their
hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership
in these roles moving forward," owner Arthur Blank said in a statement.
"The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well
and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the
organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our
expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the
absolute best in their future pursuits."
The Falcons finished with four straight wins and in a three-way tie for first
place in the NFC South, but the streak came after the team had been eliminated
from playoff contention. Carolina won the division because it had a better
record in divisional games.
Blank attended Morris' postgame news conference and gave the second-year coach
a hug following the session. The owner showed no emotion when Morris was asked
if he expected to return.
"You know, my expectation is always to be back, right?" Morris said before
looking at Blank and adding, "I'm going to coach this football team as long as
he allows it."
When asked if he had discussed his job status with Blank, Morris said, "You
can't worry about those things. The boss is sitting right there. All those
things --- this is a business, what we do. I know it's fun for you guys to talk
about it, but those decisions will always be made at a proper time. Those
decisions will always be made, utilize whatever is best for the Atlanta
Falcons."
Blank was scheduled to speak at a news conference on Thursday.
Fontenot was named general manager before the 2021 season. The team was 36-48
during his tenure, but the Falcons got solid production from his 2025 draft
class. First-round picks James Peace Jr. and Jalon Walker led NFL rookies in
sacks and third-round pick Xavier Watts led all rookies with five interceptions.
Rookie edge rusher Jalon Walker said Sunday that Morris did "a great job of
keeping the culture here strong. I commend him. All of our trials and
tribulations this season, we've found a way, we've made a way."
Guard Chris Lindstrom also expressed support for Morris.
"Yeah, I think coach Rah really fosters a connection with one another,"
Lindstrom said. "I think, really, we have that across the team and across all
three phases. When you have that, when things aren't going right, there's still
belief in what we want to achieve and belief in one another.
"I think it's also respect and love for one another, too. So, when it's easy to
pull off the gas, you don't, because you care about the guys around you. The
fan base deserves it, and we all know that. So, I was really proud of our guys
to be able to finish the season that way."
When asked about the possibility of a coaching change, wide receiver Drake
London said, "That's above my pay grade. I can't make those decisions. I love
everybody who's on this team, everybody who makes this team tick. I love
everybody."
The moves came after Blank hired the consulting firm Sportsology, which
previously worked with his Major League Soccer franchise, Atlanta United, to
study the Falcons. The Falcons said the search for a new coach and GM would
begin immediately, with an executive search firm, ZRG Partners, assisting on
the coach search and Sportsology helping with the general manager search.
The Falcons set no timeline for either hire and said the searches will be
conducted concurrently.
Morris also served as the Falcons' interim coach for the final 11 games in
2020, going 4-7 after Dan Quinn was fired following an 0-5 start.
Arthur Smith took over after that season and posted three consecutive 7-10
records from 2021 through 2023. The hiring of Morris, who had been the
defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, came with Blank expressing
optimism the Falcons were ready to win.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
|
