Shortly after the 2023 NFL season concluded, the Atlanta Falcons determined that Arthur Smith wasn’t the right coach to lead them to their first playoff appearance since 2017. Ever since, the front office, led by GM Terry Fontenot, has been working to identify the next top candidate to lead the Falcons.
Having already interviewed nine candidates, including the likes of Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh, and Mike Vrabel, three of the best options available, the Falcons have cast a wide net in their head coaching search. Previous reports suggested team owner Arthur Blank had one candidate he was “desperate” to hire, but without a deal completed, that interest may not be mutual. So what now?
Related: Atlanta Falcons owner ‘desperate’ to hire hand-picked candidate as next head coach
Atlanta Falcons’ coaching search is still ‘wide open’
Now that the Houston Texans have been eliminated from playoff contention, the Atlanta Falcons are allowed to hold an in-person interview with the offensive coordinator credited with helping C.J. Stroud’s fantastic rookie season. The Falcons are springing into action and are meeting with Bobby Slowik later on Sunday. Other interviews scheduled for this week include in-person meetings with Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel.
Yet, despite all the interviews the Falcons have already had, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Atlanta’s head coaching vacancy is still “wide open” to candidates. In other words, any candidate set to interview could still catapult themselves to the top of the list.
For the Falcons, keeping an open mind, not zeroing in on any one candidate before they have a chance to hear from all the names on their interview list, sounds like the perfect approach.
