Names have started, and will continue to emerge when it comes potential candidates for the Falcons head coach vacancy. Former Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Mike Johnson gave his top five head coach candidates based on who he would like to see get the job, who will be available and interested in the job, and the most realistic candidates for the job.
5.) New England Patriots Head Coach, Bill Belichick
Mike says he wouldn’t be thrilled about this hire but he believes Arthur Blank’s “urgency” to win makes Belichick a realistic candidate as the next Head Coach of the Falcons.
4.) Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator, Brian Flores
After working through being dealt a bad hand Flores seems like a guy that is well liked among coaching circles and is definitely a players coach as well. Mike says “I don’t know that he was ever given anything to be successful, and I think he’s going to deserve a second shot somewhere.”
3.) Los Angeles Rams Defensive Coordinator, Raheem Morris
Morris was the interim Head Coach of the Falcons for a good portion of the 2020 season after Dan Quinn was fired after the team started 0-5 that season. Atlanta went 4-7 under Coach Morris, and gave the team a pulse. Morris is another guy that is highly respected around the league and loved by players, and maybe giving him the keys this time around could be the right move for the Falcons.
2.) Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator, Ben Johnson
The Lions are NFC North Champions for the first time since 1993, and Ben Johnson is a big reason why. Mike Johnson says “he’s turned Jared Goff into a serviceable quarterback” and that “he expects him to be a head coach next year”. Johnson would have two really good running backs in Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson like he does in Detroit in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, and even though Drake London and Kyle Pitts don’t evenly compare to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta it’s probably safe to say that Johnson would have no trouble working with them.
1.) Houston Texans Offensive Coordinator, Bobby Slowik
The way Slowik was able to work with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, get Stroud to be successful in his offense, and help a team with a rookie quarterback and rookie head coach win the division and make the playoffs is very enticing to Mike and should be enticing to all Falcons fans. What he’s done in Houston would be hard to repeat, but I think Falcons fans would be more than happy to let Slowik try as the head man in Atlanta.