The Atlanta Falcons felt like a team determined to land a proven winner as their next head coach but on Friday, they turned their search process in a completely different direction.
Earlier this week, Arthur Blank and the Falcons brass was one of two NFL teams to land an interview with Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh, who is one of the most highly-coveted prospects during the current coaching carousel.
Even more notable, the Falcons spent Friday hosting their second interview with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who many believe is the greatest NFL coach of all time and the front runner for the Atlanta Falcons job.
Belichick first met with Blank on Jan. 15, on Blank’s yacht near the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to one league source. Friday’s second interview with the former Patriots head coach was held at the Atlanta Falcons team headquarters and involved Blank, team CEO Rich McKay, team president Greg Beadles and general manager Terry Fontenot, per multiple sources according to CBS.
The Falcons have interviewed nine candidates for their vacant head-coaching position, and there will be more, but the recent report from CBS believes Belichick is by far the front-runner for Arthur Blank.
The Bill Belichick Decision When It Comes To The Atlanta Falcons Will Require Complicated Decisions
A source familiar with Belichick told CBS Sports Blank desperately wants the former Patriots head coach, and the job is his if he wants it.
That source said it’s “50/50 right now that he takes the job.”
Sources tell CBS Sports that’s not exactly the case. The Falcons are planning for several second interviews for the upcoming week. Due to league rules, the Falcons couldn’t hire Belichick on the spot, or this weekend, even if they wanted to.
“This will be one of the most comprehensive head coach searches in [NFL] history,” one source said.
In order to proceed with a head-coaching hire, a team with a vacancy must comply with the Rooney Rule by interviewing at least two external candidates of diverse backgrounds in person. So far, the Falcons have only interviewed Bill Belichick and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh in person, and there are no scheduled second interviews with minority coaches at this point.
Beyond that, sources say Blank has no intention or desire to push through Rooney Rule compliance in order to make a quick hire — even if it winds up being the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach.
There are also major questions around the direction of the franchise should Blank move to install Belichick as his next head coach. The Patriot Way that worked so well for a majority of those 24 years in New England will be a culture shock in Atlanta. Staff members would be reassigned or let go. Access to parts of the building or meetings would be cut off.
One source with the Falcons told CBS Sports they’d prefer to go elsewhere if Belichick wound up being hired. And Belichick would of course bring in his own people on personnel and coaching, so that decision could be made for that source anyway.
Belichick’s control over the franchise is something that would have to be determined before this potential partnership escalates. Sources have voiced doubt that Belichick would go to Atlanta and want to keep the structure the exact same as it relates to McKay and Fontenot, and those decisions would have to be made with Blank’s blessing.
Atlanta Falcons Request 34-Year-Old Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady On Same Day They Host Bill Belichick For Second Interview
While several reports believe the Falcons are the frontrunner to land Belichick — and as of now the former Patriots legend hasn’t interviewed with any other teams — as there was wide speculation the Dallas Cowboys would make a run at the GOAT before Jerry Jones announced he was retaining Mike McCarthy.
One would believe if Arthur Blank truly wants Belichick as much as reports have said, the longtime Falcons owner will move as soon as possible.
Obviously that’s not possible yet, and while in a week’s span it appeared the Atlanta Falcons were focused on a veteran winner to reset the culture after just parting ways with Arthur Smith, who came in as a former coordinator with no head coaching experience, it’s clear Blank is exploring all options.
Hours after the former Patriots coach wrapped up his second interview with several members of the Patriots brass in Atlanta, it was announced the organization has requested an interview with a coach that has the polar opposite pedigree of Bill Belichick, or even Jim Harbaugh.
The Falcons have requested permission to interview Bills interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady for their vacant head-coaching job, sources say. Brady previously interviewed for the job in 2021.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 19, 2024
Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady has been considered a rising star in the NFL for the last few years, despite his young age.
Brady previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers from 2020 to 2021. He was a passing game coordinator and wide receiver coach for the LSU Tigers during the 2019 season, winning the Broyles Award for the best assistant coach in college football, and an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints from 2017 to 2018.
He may be the polar opposite of the candidates the Atlanta Falcons have interviewed so far, but it’s obvious why they are interested in him.
Much like Sean McVay in his early years, Brady has been tabbed as a young offensive football savant. He took over as the Buffalo Bills OC midway through the season., after the offense was struggling under Ken Dorsey who was then fired, and Brady was promoted from QBs coach to OC.
After starting the season (3-0), the Buffalo Bills began to sputter, particularly on offense. They lost five of their next eight games, including embarrassing performances against the New England Patriots, one of the worst teams in the league this year..
Known for using motion and creative offensive schemes to maximize his top playmakers and make Josh Allen’s job easier, the Bills have won eight of their final nine regular season games and are now hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in a critical AFC divisional round matchup.
While Brady isn’t anywhere close to the same kind of coach as Bellichick, it’s obvious why the Atlanta Falcons are looking at the young, brilliant offensive mind as their next head coach.