Raheem Morris was not ready to be a head coach -- at least not his first time around. That opportunity came more than fifteen years ago when he was made one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history at just 33 years old. The stint didn't end well, as Morris was fired after a 17-31 overall record in three seasons.
NFL Insider, Pete Prisco, joined The Steakhouse to discuss the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and why Raheem Morris will be ready for his second time around as a head coach.
"I think the Raheem Morris the first time around -- and he'll be the first one to admit it -- he wasn't ready for it," Prisco said about Raheem Morris the first time he was a head coach in Tampa. "He wasn't prepared, he wasn't mature enough. It was kind of overwhelming to him."
Despite only two seasons as a defensive backs coach with Tampa, and none as a coordinator, a lot was put on the younger Morris in 2009 when he was given the job -- a lot that he wasn't ready for.
After being fired by the Buccaneers in 2011, Morris moved on to the then-Washington Redskins as their defensive backs coach before coming to Atlanta in 2015 as its wide receivers coach and subsequent passing game coordinator. Here in Atlanta, he coached in a Super Bowl and picked up additional experience as an interim head coach. He then spent the last three seasons with the Rams, where he won a Super Bowl in 2021.
That experience will pay immediate dividends for Morris his second time around as head coach.
"I think Raheem Morris, the second time around, is going to be a great coach," Prisco continued. "I think he's figured things out, he's smart, he relates to the players, [and] he understands what it takes to be a successful team now that he's been around them. I think Raheem Morris, second time around, will be significantly better and much more committed, and much more of a guy you want as your head coach."
