The Atlanta Falcons finally made a decision on their head coach for the 2024 season, hiring Raheem Morris over several other candidates, including Bill Belichick. Not hiring one of the greatest coaches in NFL history after he had two interviews with the Falcons turned out to be a big surprise, especially after team owner Arthur Blank was reported to be ‘desperate‘ to hire the former Patriots coach.
Not that Morris isn’t a qualified candidate. He’s had a big hand in the Los Angeles Rams’ success, dating back to their Super Bowl win in 2021. But people still want to know why the Falcons didn’t just hire Belichick.
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Arthur Blank reportedly wanted Bill Belichick the coach, not the GM
When he was with the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick held dual titles, acting as head coach and general manager of the team, giving him final say over roster decisions. While he had others helping him with both roles, Belichick was always the king.
After it became clear that the Patriots and Belichick wouldn’t be working together in 2024, aside from his next team, everyone wanted to know whether he’d still have control over the roster in addition to being head coach. While his defenses were still stellar, Belichick failed to build an offense capable of holding up after Tom Brady took off for Tampa Bay. That was one of the future Hall of Fame coach’s biggest downfalls.
While teams likely have interest in hiring Belichick as a coach, it appears interest in allowing him to operate as GM, too, may be non-existent.
According to NFL insider Albert Breer, the Falcons had a great level of interest in hiring Belichick to coach, but rearranging their front office just wasn’t in the cards.
“He can definitely get a job as an executive as an overseer, and he can definitely get a job as a coach, but no one is going to throw him the keys the way he had them in New England,” Breer said of Belichick on Arbella Early Edition. “I hope that’s not what he’s expecting, and I think that’s what it comes down to…Arthur Blank wanted to hire Bill Belichick the head coach — and it wasn’t the money, I think he was willing to pay him — it was everything else that was going to have to happen.
I think Blank wanted to hire Bill the coach, but I think more than anything else was that Bill wanted things set up a certain way and Blank wasn’t comfortable with that, especially for a guy who might only be around for a year or two.”
Albert Breer on why Atlanta Falcons didn’t hire Bill Belichick
It remains to be seen whether another team with a current head coaching vacancy springs into action to hire Belichick. With only two vacancies remaining, the odds of him returning to the sidelines as an NFL head coach continue to dwindle.
