The Falcons have finalized their three biggest coordinator hires, naming Craig Aukerman as special teams coordinator to replace Marquice Williams.

We have named Craig Aukerman as Special Teams Coordinator! https://t.co/gC8lz3uCNQ pic.twitter.com/nEhFNxYAlf

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 26, 2026

Aukerman comes over from Miami, where he served in the same role. Prior to that, he was the special teams coordinator in Tennessee from 2018–2023. He’s been in the coaching ranks for more than 25 years, specializing in the third phase of the game at the NFL level since 2012.

The Dolphins weren’t exactly world-beaters on special teams last season. They were far more effective returning kicks than defending them, but Aukerman is stepping into a situation where his new team is coming off a season in which they quite literally couldn’t do anything right on special teams.

The Falcons were gashed by big returns in seemingly every game. They had several field goals blocked and generated very few explosive plays of their own. Atlanta also cycled through three kickers before finally stabilizing the position with Zane Gonzalez, who made 19 of his 22 field-goal attempts over the final nine weeks.

With even an average special teams unit, the Falcons likely would have won the NFC South by multiple games. At least three or four losses can be directly attributed to failures in the third phase. It’s an often-overlooked part of the game, but the teams still standing at the end of the season almost always find ways to create positive special teams plays. Just look at what the Seattle Seahawks have done over the last two weeks on their run to the Super Bowl.

It’s an area Kevin Stefanski will have to prioritize this offseason, and Aukerman will be under the microscope early after what transpired last year under Marquice Williams.

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Photo: Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire