Arthur Smith, the former offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, has been announced as the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Smith, 38, will be replacing former head coach Dan Quinn and interim head coach Raheem Morris. Atlanta started the season at 0-5 and finished at 4-12.
Smith had done a great job with the Tennessee offense, as they were one of the most efficient scoring teams in the league. Led by skill players Derick Henry and AJ Brown, the Titans were a top red zone offense in the NFL. Additionally, they were top five in the league in total scoring the past two seasons. Smith will now take on the task of improving the struggling Falcons.
Smith had been with the Tennessee Titans since the 2011 season. He had previously worked as a quality control coach on both offense and defense as well as tight ends coach. Before Tennessee, Smith worked for the Washington Football Team and at Ole Miss both as a defensive assistant.
Arthur Smith was one of the most highly coveted coaches in this year’s hiring cycle. He, along with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady, were the top offensive coaches on the market. Atlanta had also interviewed both Bieniemy and Brady. Smith had also met with the Eagles and Lions prior to today’s announcement. Following Urban Meyer and Robert Saleh, he is the third head coach to be hired this offseason.
Smith will get to work with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Calvin Ridley as he is tasked with turning around the Falcons’ franchise. After leading the Tennessee Titans to 30.7 points per game in 2020, the future looks bright for Atlanta’s offense.
