It’s “Black Monday” in the NFL, which means some teams have started to make some big changes to their coaching staff. The Atlanta Falcons are one of those teams as they fired head coach Authur Smith after he served as head coach for three seasons. In each year Smith was the head coach, the Falcons finished with a 7-10 record and missed the playoffs.
“Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good,” Falcons owner and chairman Arthur Blank said in a statement. “We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years. He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations. After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position.” ย
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The firing comes after the Falcons lost to the New Orleans Saints 48-17 on Sunday to close out the year. The Falcons began the season 2-0 and looked poised to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017. But inconsistent quarterback play from Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke led to the Falcons never getting into a rhythm and recording their sixth consecutive losing season.ย
Smith was hired as the Falcons head coach on Jan. 15, 2021. He finished his tenure in Atlanta with a 21-30 record, and after Sunday’s game, Smith was asked by reporters if he wanted to remain with the team. “Sure, as I’ve said many of times, we know the industry that we’re in,” he said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I love doing what I’m doing. Also, like I’ve told you many times, this is the industry that we are in. I love coaching. I would have loved to win today. Obviously, we didn’t.”
Smith came to Atlanta after spending 10 years with the Tennessee Titans organization. He began his stint with the Titans as a defensive quality control coach and worked his way up to offensive coordinator. Smith played college football at the University of North Carolina and was an offensive lineman. His father is Fredrick Smith who is the founder of FedEx.ย
