By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday night, announcing the moves hours after the team completed its second straight 8-9 finish under Morris and eighth consecutive losing season.
Morris said after Sunday’s 19-17 win over the New Orleans Saints that he expected to return for a third season. Instead, his 16-18 record was not enough for him to keep his job after the year began with optimism that the Falcons would reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
“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,” owner Arthur Blank said in a statement.
“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 Falcons finished with four straight wins and in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South, but the streak came after the team had been eliminated from playoff contention. Carolina won the division because it had a better record in divisional games.
Blank attended Morris’ postgame news conference and gave the second-year coach a hug following the session. The owner showed no emotion when Morris was asked if he expected to return.
“You know, my expectation is always to be back, right?” Morris said before looking at Blank and adding, “I’m going to coach this football team as long as he allows it.”
When asked if he had discussed his job status with Blank, 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.”
Blank was scheduled to speak at a news conference on Thursday.
Fontenot was named general manager before the 2021 season. The team was 36-48 during his tenure, but the Falcons got solid production from his 2025 draft class. First-round picks James Peace Jr. and Jalon Walker led NFL rookies in sacks and third-round pick Xavier Watts led all rookies with five interceptions.
Walker said Sunday that Morris did “a great job of keeping the culture here strong. I commend him. All of our trials and tribulations this season, we’ve found a way, we’ve made a way.”
Guard Chris Lindstrom also expressed support for Morris.
“Yeah, I think coach Rah really fosters a connection with one another,” Lindstrom said. “I think, really, we have that across the team and across all three phases. When you have that, when things aren’t going right, there’s still belief in what we want to achieve and belief in one another.
“I think it’s also respect and love for one another, too. So, when it’s easy to pull off the gas, you don’t, because you care about the guys around you. The fan base deserves it, and we all know that. So, I was really proud of our guys to be able to finish the season that way.”
When asked about the possibility of a coaching change, wide receiver Drake London said, “That’s above my pay grade. I can’t make those decisions. I love everybody who’s on this team, everybody who makes this team tick. I love everybody.”
The moves came after Blank hired the consulting firm Sportsology, which previously worked with his Major League Soccer franchise, Atlanta United, to study the Falcons. The Falcons said the search for a new coach and GM would begin immediately, with an executive search firm, ZRG Partners, assisting on the coach search and Sportsology helping with the general manager search.
The Falcons set no timeline for either hire and said the searches will be conducted concurrently.
Morris also served as the Falcons’ interim coach for the final 11 games in 2020, going 4-7 after Dan Quinn was fired following an 0-5 start.
Arthur Smith took over after that season and posted three consecutive 7-10 records from 2021 through 2023. The hiring of Morris, who had been the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, came with Blank expressing optimism the Falcons were ready to win.
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