The Atlanta Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski as their new coach, the club announced Saturday night.
Stefanski, 43, had his second interview with the Falcons on Saturday at the home of team owner Arthur Blank. The former Cleveland Browns coach is a two-time former NFL Coach of the Year. The Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris on Jan. 4 following back-to-back 8-9 seasons. Atlanta has not made the playoffs in eight seasons, the second-longest drought in the NFL. The Falcons have also not had a winning record since 2017.
In addition to Morris’ dismissal, the Falcons fired general manager Terry Fontenot on Jan. 4 after five seasons. Their general manager search is ongoing. Before those searches got going, Atlanta added a new position: president of football, which has been filled by Matt Ryan, the team’s former quarterback for 14 seasons and the best player in franchise history. Ryan has been leading the interviews for the coaching candidates.
“We’re thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness and active collaboration with every area of the football operation,” Ryan said in a statement. “Coach Stefanski is a team-first leader who puts a premium on accountability for everyone and a player-driven culture.”
The Falcons interviewed John Harbaugh, Klint Kubiak, Mike McDaniel, Anthony Weaver, Aden Durde, Jeff Hafley and Jesse Minter. Stefanski was the first candidate brought back for a second interview.
Stefanski went 45-56 in six seasons with the Browns. He took Cleveland to the playoffs twice, in 2020 and 2023. In both of those seasons, he was awarded Coach of the Year. The Browns fired Stefanski after the team went 8-26 in his past two seasons.
