The Atlanta Falcons head coaching search has begun to ramp up, as yesterday they put in a boatload of requests to interview coaches for their open head coach position.
Yesterday, our own Alex Lord broke down a list of candidates that he doesn’t want to see in Atlanta. I’m sure he has plenty more to say about the guys he likes for the job, but that’s what I’m going to do today. Here are my top five head coach candidates for the job in Atlanta.
Top 5 Falcons Head Coach Candidates
5. Steve Wilks
The Falcons have requested to interview Steve Wilks, who is currently coaching the defense in San Francisco, one of the top units in the league. Wilks deserves an opportunity to be a head coach again. He was screwed in Arizona and let go after one season, and he did a fantastic job in Carolina when he replaced Matt Rhule after he was fired as their interim head coach. Wilks is a no nonsense guy that the players love and can relate to. He knows how to get the most out of his teams, is a brilliant defensive mind, and has a coaching history dating back to 1995. Eventually, Wilks will get another chance as a head, but he might not be the flashy hire the Falcons are looking for.
4. Mike Macdonald
Coaching has become a young man’s game. You can see it around the league; baby faces are taking over, and Mike Macdonald may be next. However, unlike a lot of the boy geniuses that have become so popular, Macdonald is a defensive coach, currently helping orchestrate the league’s top defense in Baltimore. He’s only 36-years-old and has quickly rocketed up the list of potential head coaches because of his creative schemes and incredible success in both Baltimore and at the collegiate level as the defensive coordinator of the Michigan Wolverines in 2021. If the Falcons go the defensive coordinator route for their next head coach, Macdonald would be my first choice. He’s also a graduate of the University of Georgia, where his coaching career began.
3. Mike Vrabel
If the Falcons landed any of the top three on my list, I would be ecstatic, but all three of these candidates will have no shortage of suitors. Mike Vrabel was recently fired by the Tennessee Titans in one of the more shocking moves of the offseason. Immediately, he became one of the hottest head coaching candidates on the market, a sign that the Titans probably made the wrong decision in letting him go. Vrabel squeezed the absolute most out of the talent he was given in Tennessee, leading them to the playoffs in three straight seasons from 2019-2021. A year ago, Vrabel was looked at as one of the best coaches in the league. Now, he’s a free agent. That kind of opportunity doesn’t come around too often when you’re searching for a head coach. Vrabel isn’t the flashy offensive mind that has become so popular these days, but the guy has a proven track record of success. He would be a fantastic hire for the Falcons.
2. Ben Johnson
Among candidates that have never been a head coach before, Ben Johnson is by far the hottest commodity. He will likely have his pick of the litter when it comes to who he wants to coach next season, and the Falcons make some sense. He’s a young offensive mind that can come in and get the quarterback of his choice. The Falcons have plenty of weapons for him to play with on offense, and they have a boatload of cap space. One might argue that Ben Johnson is the single most important piece of the puzzle, as far as coaches go up in Detroit. He has Jared Goff playing like a top 10 quarterback, utilizing all of his weapons to the best of his ability.
1. Jim Harbaugh
Coming off a National Championship at Michigan, Jim Harbaugh might be the most coveted head coaching candidate this hiring cycle if he decides he’s ready to come back to the NFL. This is a man that has succeeded at every stop, winning at Stanford, turning the 49ers into perennial Super Bowl contenders, and then winning a National Championship at Michigan. He’s a proven commodity that knows how to get it done, and unlike Bill Belichick, he’s not 70 years old and he’s a former quarterback that knows how to adjust to his personnel on offense. I’m not sure if Harbaugh prefers to be on the West Coast, but if he has any interest in coaching the Falcons, Arthur Blank should hand him a blank check.
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Photo: Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire
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