Raheem Morris will return to a familiar position on the sidelines.
Morris, the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator for the last three seasons, is anticipated to be appointed as the Atlanta Falcons' new head coach, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero said on Thursday.
Morris spent the 2020 season with the Falcons as defensive coordinator and later temporary head coach when Dan Quinn was fired. He will join Sean McVay's Rams staff in 2021.
Morris will now get a second opportunity in Atlanta, as well as a second chance as a full-time head coach, after spending three years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 and 2011.
Morris will become the organization's first Black full-time head coach (Morris and Emmitt Thomas were both interim head coaches).
Morris, 47, led the Rams' Super Bowl-winning defence as its coordinator in 2021. He has also won 59 games as an NFL head coach (17-31 with the Buccaneers and 4-7 with the Falcons).
Morris' move to Atlanta also confirms that Bill Belichick will not be coaching in the NFC South.
Following the ending of his illustrious 24-season stint with the New England Patriots, Belichick conducted his first, second, and only interviews with the Falcons.
After interviewing more than a dozen applicants, the Falcons selected Morris, who will return to the NFC South and succeed Arthur Smith, who was sacked after three consecutive 7-10 seasons.
Morris began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Hofstra in 1998 and made his NFL debut as a defensive quality coach with the Buccaneers in 2002. Morris coached the Bucs for nine seasons in total, split between two stints. He also spent three seasons in Washington as a secondary assistant to Mike Shanahan and Jay Gruden. Morris then moved to Atlanta to join Quinn's staff as an associate head coach and defensive passing game coordinator in 2015.
Morris will return to Atlanta to face a defence that improved dramatically in 2023, placing 11th in total defence after ranking 27th in 2022. He will also have a talented offence lead by Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, all past first-round picks.
However, he will face a conundrum at quarterback, since it appears unlikely that Desmond Ridder or Taylor Heinicke will be the franchise's starter signal-caller.
The Falcons front office's collaboration with Morris, owner Arthur Blank, Falcons CEO Rich McKay, and general manager Terry Fontenot will also be a major focus.
Morris recently led the Rams to their second postseason appearance in three seasons as head coach. Morris will now try to lead the Falcons back to the playoffs following a six-season skid.
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