NEWS UPDATE: The profile of Raheem Morris, new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Fans are already acquainted with Raheem Morris from his time in Atlanta, but let’s delve into his coaching background beyond the Falcons. The franchise has recently appointed its 19th head coach, providing an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the new face arriving from another team. However, there’s a twist this time around – the Falcons are already well-acquainted with Raheem Morris. This familiarity stems from Morris’s six-season tenure with the Falcons, where he held various roles, including serving as the interim head coach for the final 11 games of the 2020 season. He contributed on both sides of the ball, working as the wide receivers coach, passing-game coordinator, and later as the defensive coordinator before temporarily taking on the head coaching role.

Despite his close ties to the Dirty Birds, let’s explore more about the 47-year-old coach with an esteemed reputation across the NFL based on his experiences beyond Atlanta. Morris is widely respected across the league, particularly by players who have worked under his guidance. While many lauded his hiring, star cornerback Jalen Ramsey went above and beyond, stating on X that the “Falcons got one of, if not the best coach in the NFL for real!” Ramsey reiterated his praise in another post, saying “It ain’t just me who thinks this lol…ask any player who has played for Rah.”

Sean McVay, head coach of the Rams and Morris’s colleague for the last three seasons, echoed this sentiment. McVay recalled the immediate excitement Morris generated among everyone in the building upon joining the team. He emphasized Morris’s magnetic personality, describing him as someone “different” and “really special.”

Former Falcons wide receiver Roddy White concurred, expressing his admiration for Morris by stating, “I just really like Rah. He’s a real one.” Morris marks a significant milestone as the first head coach hired by Falcons owner Arthur Blank with prior experience as an NFL head coach. This experience dates back to 2009-2011 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he took on the head coaching role at the age of 32, succeeding Jon Gruden. Technically, he also served as Atlanta’s interim head coach in 2020, finishing the season with a 4-7 record.

In his three seasons at the helm in Tampa, Morris posted a 17-31 record, with a notable 10-6 record spanning two campaigns. Morris admitted he “was ready, but wasn’t prepared” for the opportunity to be a head coach at that time. Since then, he has accumulated 12 years of coaching experience, including an interim stint with the Falcons, three years as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, and a Super Bowl ring from the 2021 season. While many NFL fans recognize Morris’s role in the Rams’ Super Bowl victory, fewer know that he was part of the staff back in 2002 when the Buccaneers claimed the NFL’s top prize. In his initial season as an NFL coach, Morris served as a defensive quality control coach.

Current Falcons team CEO Rich McKay, who was the Bucs GM during Morris’s early coaching years, has maintained a lasting connection with him, a connection now reestablished in Atlanta in 2024. Morris’s coaching journey commenced at his alma mater as a graduate assistant in 1998, following four years playing safety. Subsequently, he worked as Cornell’s defensive backs coach in 1999, spent two years at Hofstra, and then ventured into the NFL, with a brief stint as Kansas State’s defensive coordinator in 2006. His coaching journey unfolded through various stops, including the Bucs (2002-05) and (2007-11), Washington’s football club (2012-14), the Falcons (2015-20), the Rams (2021-23), and currently, a return to Atlanta in 2024.