On Friday, the Atlanta Falcons named Arthur Smith, the 20th head coach in franchise history. Smith was the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator and lost to the Baltimore Ravens in last Saturday’s Wild Card game. The Titans won the AFC South division with an 11-5 record.
The 38-year-old from Memphis, TN, spent ten years with the Titans in several positions. Before coming to the NFL, he was a graduate assistant at North Carolina in 2006. He got his first taste of the NFL as a defensive quality assistant for the Washington Redskins in 2007 and 2008. After his two years with the Redskins, Smith went back to college as a defensive intern for Ole Miss for one season. He returned to the NFL in 2011 with the Titans as a defensive quality control coach. From there, he moved up the ranks to become the offensive coordinator job in 2019.
Many consider him the one who turned Ryan Tannehill’s career around. In 2019, Tannehill would win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. During the 2020 season, the Titans’ offense was ranked third in total yards per game (396.1) and second in rushing yards per game (168.1). Not only did Tannehill thrived in Tennessee, but so did Derek Henry; he rushed for 2,027 yards on 378 carries with 17 touchdowns.
The Falcons will have the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Atlanta’s 2021 schedule consists of the NFC East, AFC East, Detroit Lions, and the NFC South. The team is currently $24 million over the cap and will need to release or trade players to get under the cap. With Smith at the helm, the Falcons will look to reclaim their dominance in the NFC and get back to Super Bowl contention.
