Tom Pelissero of NFL Media is reporting that the Falcons have fired HC Arthur Smith following Sunday’s loss to the Saints.
The Falcons have already confirmed the news:
“Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good,” said owner Arthur Blank. “We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years. He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations. After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position.”
At one point, it appeared as though Smith could be safe, but the team’s recent struggles put him squarely on the hot seat and a blowout loss to the Saints probably made this an easy decision for ownership.
Smith wasn’t able to get production out of several top offensive picks and their quarterback situation limited the team’s ceiling.
Smith, 41, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at North Carolina back in 2006. From there, he worked for Washington for two years before being hired as an administrative assistant/defensive intern at Ole Miss in 2010.
The Titans hired Smith as a defensive assistant/quality control coach a year later and he worked his way to TEs coach in 2015. Tennessee promoted him to offensive coordinator after Matt LaFleur accepted the Packers’ HC job.
After Smith found success in that role, the Falcons hired him as their head coach in 2021.
In three seasons in Atlanta, Smith has a record of 21-29 (42 percent) with no playoff appearances.
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