Falcons Schedule Multiple Head Coach Interviews, Consider Search 'Wide Open'
The Atlanta Falcons caught the eyes and ears of the football world this week as they completed their second head coaching interview with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
A second interview felt like procedural confirmation that Belichick was going to usher Atlanta into win-now mode. Then, the noise turned to a “50-50 shot.” On Sunday, the Falcons’ future grew increasingly uncertain.
Per Adam Schefter, Atlanta’s head coaching search is “wide open.” The search for a lead man isn’t over yet.
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On Sunday, the team is expected to interview Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. A branch of the San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan tree, Slowik helped Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud turn in one of the best rookie seasons of all time. Houston eviscerated the Cleveland Browns 45-14 in the Wild Card Round before falling short against the Baltimore Ravens 34-10 on Saturday.
The Falcons are also set to host in-person meetings with former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Vrabel’s reputation precedes him. He’s a bona fide leader of men who seems to maximize the personnel he is handed year in and year out. Vrabel was beloved by his constituents in Tennessee, though a 6-11 season and a power struggle of sorts ended his Titans tenure earlier than anticipated.
Harbaugh, of course, is coming off of a national championship with his Wolverines. Having climbed the collegiate mountain, his eyes are set on the NFL. Harbaugh may be an acquired taste for some, but he boasts the second-best résumé of any head coach in this hiring cycle, behind only Belichick.
Schefter also noted that other in-person interviews are on the way.
The hire Atlanta eventually makes will be inevitably intertwined with its impending decision at the sport’s most important decision. As pivotal as the hire is, the most recent developments coming from the Falcons brass are a brief reminder of how fluid these situations are. The football world may not know for sure until the ink has dried and a press conference is scheduled.
