Arthur Smith Falls First on NFL Black Monday

Falcons start search for New Head Coach

Black Monday started just after the stroke of midnight. Just hours after losing to the New Orleans Saints in an embarrassing fashion, the Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Arthur Smith. His dismissal followed a postgame meeting with owner Arthur Blank and CEO Rich McKay.

Blank and McKay will lead the search for the next head coach with assistance from general manager Terry Fontenot. That is a departure and a warning shot for Fontenot. The structure of the search and the resulting organization may be a departure from Falcons current architecture. 

Fontenot’s staff in the front office has focused on providing the offensive side of the ball with talent at the skill positions.  In general, the perception is that they've been successful, although the offensive line unit is considered thin.

Smith’s departure is no surprise.

In the end, Smith had the majority of offensive pieces and high draft picks and was unable to find a cohesive offense with that talent. Specifically, quarterback Desmond Ridders’ development has not progressed as hoped. Ridder stands to be the primary beneficiary of a new offensive leader and scheme.  We expect the Falcons to focus on a West Coast or Pass-Oriented play caller as its new leader.

NFL33, will have more news following black Monday decisions.