The job that seemed like would never be filled has finally found its man.
A virtual train wreck of a season set the Falcons several years back and desperately needs a heavy clean up. This being said, many potential candidates seemed to want to keep their distance because of the chaos that is the Atlanta Falcons.
After much speculation about potential head coaches that included USC coach Pete Carroll, former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher, and Dallas Cowboys assistants Tony Sparano and Jason Garrett, the Falcons have come to terms with Mike Smith, and have handed him the broom and mop.
Smith was the Defensive Coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the last 5 years and was a defensive assistant coach with the Baltimore Ravens from 1999 to 2002, which included a victory in the Super Bowl over the Giants in 2001.
Smith is a solid hire and will help the Falcons defensively, where they were ranked 29th in total defense and allowed 355.5 yards per game last year and could use a great deal of help.
The landscape of the search seemed to change when Arthur Blank hired Thomas Dimitroff as the General Manager on January 13th. He arrived in Atlanta with a list of five potential candidates that included Rex Ryan, Leslie Frazier, Smith, Steve Spagnuolo, and Jason Garrett. The field was narrowed down with Frazier being interviewed once and Ryan and Smith being interviewed twice.
Unlike coaching hires last year, Wade Phillips and Norv Turner, who stepped into very good situations with very complete and competitive teams, Mike Smith is not as fortunate. The Falcons are coming off a 4-12 season, and have been dealing with the Michael Vick dog fighting drama and the disappearing act of coach Bobby Petrino, along with a diminishing fan base and an aging team.
Despite the large task ahead of Smith his former coaches and former players think he is the perfect fit for the job.
Eight year NFL veteran and current Jaguars defensive end Paul Spicer said, “He has definitely gained my trust. I would tell any Falcons player that they are definitely getting a gem.”
Smith’s former boss Jack Del Rio said, “”He’s got a great mind for football. He’s prepared for this opportunity, and I think he’ll do a nice job with it.”
Smith also seems like he understands the task at hand and is excited about it when he commented, “I’m thrilled to be a part of this organization. ”There’s no where to go but up.”
A step backwards is nearly inconceivable and there could be brighter days ahead for the Atlanta Falcons.
Smith has begun to put together a coaching staff. Current Falcons quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave and former interim coach/secondary coach Emmitt Thomas are expected to be stay on staff, and Smith looks to surround himself with former Miami offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Mike Mularkey and former Cincinnati quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese, who should be handling the offensive coordinator duties.
Putting a staff together is the first of many steps that will lead the Falcons into a positive direction. A good draft, cleaning out some players, and stability at quarterback is just a start, but Smith seems to know that it will take more than a little elbow grease to fix the disarray that the Atlanta Falcons are in.
Blank, Smith, and his staff will need to roll up their collective sleeves and get to work to get this franchise out of the gutter.
