Falcons Coach Dean Pees Retires; What's Next?

Dean Pees served as the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. Now, he's stepping away.

The Atlanta Falcons are looking for a new defensive coordinator.

According to NFL Network, defensive coordinator Dean Pees is retiring and will not return to coordinate the Falcons defense in 2023.

Pees, 73, has already retired from coaching twice before. The veteran coordinator last left the coaching world after the 2019 season. Pees, the defensive coordinator, worked with then-offensive coordinator Arthur Smith on the Tennessee Titans.

When Smith got the head coaching job in Atlanta in 2021, he lured Pees out of retirement to work with him again.

Pees was a part of a scary incident before the Falcons' Week 15 game versus the New Orleans Saints. During warmups, the Falcons' coach collided with a Saints player fielding punts. The collision saw Pees carted off the field on a stretcher just 45 minutes before kickoff.

Luckily, everything turned out to be alright, as Pees was released from the hospital after the game began and returned to the team without any further incident. 

However, the toll of a 17-game season can be tough on anyone, let alone a 73-year-old.

Now, the Falcons begin their extensive search for the person who can help the defense improve from their status as a below-average unit.

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Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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