The Falcons expected to go to the playoffs this season, but things soured after they started the season 4-9.
They won their final four games, but that was not enough to save coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. Both were fired Sunday night, hours after a 19-17 win over the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
After the game, Morris was asked about his plight and if he’d had any discussions with team owner Arthur Blank.
“No,” Morris said. “You can’t worry about those things. The boss is sitting right there. All those things — this is a business, what we do. I know it’s fun for you guys to talk about it, but those decisions will always be made at a proper time. Those decisions will always be made, utilize whatever is best for the Atlanta Falcons.”
The proper time was just a few hours later.
Morris had said he expected to return. “My expectations are always to be back, and I’m going to coach this football team as long as (Blank) allows me,” Morris said.
Fontenot was in the postgame locker room and was congratulating players on the win. He appeared to be in good spirits.
The two met with Blank a couple of hours later and were dismissed.
Morris was named the coach after the 2023 season. Fontenot was the general manager for the past five seasons.
Morris also was the Falcons’ interim coach during the final 11 games in the 2020 season, during an earlier stint with the team. During his tenure as head coach the last two seasons, the Falcons finished 8-9 each year.
The Falcons’ record during Fontenot’s tenure was 37-48, with no playoff appearances.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” Blank said in a team statement released Sunday night. “The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits.”
The searches for the head coach and general manager roles for the Falcons will begin immediately.
The Falcons noted that ZRG Partners will assist in the head coaching search and Sportsology Group will aid in the search for a new general manager. No timeline has been set for completion of either search, but they will occur concurrently.
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
