After a third straight disappointing 7-10 season, Arthur Smith was fired from his position as the Falcons head coach. With the current roster consisting of a great young defense and some weapons on offense, it’s important the Falcons get this hire right before they lose the young talent on this roster.
Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh, the two biggest names currently on the market, have already interviewed for the position, with Belichick being the only coach the Falcons have interviewed to meet directly with owner Arthur Blank.
While lots of Atlanta fans seem to be against the potential Belichick hire, likely due to the Superbowl loss in 2016, it’s hard to be against hiring a six-time Superbowl champion to hopefully turn around the team.
Although Belichick is coming off two straight lackluster seasons in New England, the defensive side of the ball was still great, and it would be hard for anyone to win with the lack of talent on those Patriots offenses.
With Atlanta already having a talented defense and weapons on offense, if the Falcons can manage to find a quarterback capable of above-average play, Belichick could lead this team to a deep playoff run.
Harbaugh is another interesting candidate, coming off a controversy-filled national championship at the college level with the Michigan Wolverines. While other college coaches have struggled at the professional level in the past, Harbaugh has already had success at the pro level with the 49ers, leading them to a Superbowl appearance in 2012.
Despite Harbaugh’s success at Michigan a year ago, there was no shortage of controversy, as Harbaugh was suspended twice throughout the regular season for recruiting violations and then a sign stealing scandal. It’s been theorized that Harbaugh may be looking to go to the NFL to potentially avoid another suspension that may be coming down from the NCAA.
While Harbaugh and Belichick may have great resumes and have already proven themselves to be great head coaches, current Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could be the best man for the job.
Ben Johnson has been a major factor in the Lions turning around the past couple of years and especially in 2023, leading the Lions to a top-5 rushing and passing offense. Ben Johnson would immediately address the biggest issue the Falcons had in 2023 which was offensive play calling.
Pair Ben Johnson with a young talented quarterback and the Falcons could have an offense with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, a great offensive line, and a play caller who knows how to get them the ball effectively.
If the Falcons can achieve this on offense and maintain the defensive success from this past season, the Falcons could be one of the better teams in the NFC. Hiring Ben Johnson would be the best option for the Falcons, considering that Belichick is getting older and Harbaugh has controversy surrounding him and hasn’t even coached in the NFL in ten years.
