The Atlanta Falcons seemed very interested in Bill Belichick’s work before ultimately hiring Raheem Morris as their next head coach.
On Friday, Falcons owner Arthur Blank tried to clear the air on the whole situation.
In the process leading up to the Falcons’ decision to hire Morris, the former Rams defensive coordinator. Falcons interview legendary former Patriots head coach More than once.
There were numerous rumors that Belichick wanted control of his team heading into the 2024 season, but Blank sought to dispel that theory, asking the legendary coach to join the Falcons. He claimed he was never offered the job and did not have full control of the players. No human resources were required.
“I want to be 1,000 percent clear, I don’t care about 2,000 percent or 100,000 percent or whatever percentage. Bill Belichick has said in our discussion that he’s not going to give us a complete list of personnel or buildings or anything like that. I never asked for management,”’ Blank told reporters Friday.
“He was very inclusive, very supportive. He met [Falcons general manager] Terry Fontenot sent me a private text to check that our staff was creating their own reference material, and in the end I shared it with Terry and was delighted. I told him I wanted to work together. ”
The Falcons ultimately chose to keep Morris, the Rams’ DC, from 2021-23. Morris previously coached in Atlanta, first serving as assistant head coach from 2015 to 2019 and eventually becoming interim head coach after Dan Quinn was fired after zero games. 5th season begins.
Under Coach Morris, the Falcons finished the season with 4 wins and 7 losses.
“The three years he spent in L.A., he worked in a different coaching environment, a different kind of setup. [Rams head coach] “Sean McVay does things differently than a lot of other coaches,” Blank said of why the Falcons hired Morris after interviewing 14 candidates.
“And their coaching scheme and set-up and the way they promote from within and move coaches more laterally has been a learning experience for him.”
For now, Belichick remains without a team after his extended stay in New England.
