Falcons owner Arthur Blank didn’t wait to see the light of day and make changes.
Atlanta has fired head coach Arthur Smith, the team announced shortly after midnight.
Smith went 7-10 in each of his three seasons with the Falcons, compiling a 21-30 record. The club lost 48-17 to New Orleans on Sunday, ending its season.
“Decisions like this are never easy, and they never feel good,” Blank said in a statement. “We deeply respect Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the past three years. He has helped build a positive culture on our football team. However, the results in the field did not meet our expectations.
“After much thought and consideration, we have determined that the best path forward for our team is to have a new leader in the head coaching position.”
In a release, the Falcons said Blank and team CEO Rich McKay received input from general manager Terry Fontenot and “several other appropriate members of Blank’s Atlanta Falcons and AMB Sports and Entertainment organizations.” He said he will lead the search for the next head coach.
Blank and McKay are scheduled to hold a press conference Monday afternoon.
Fontenot and Smith were hired in the same offseason after Atlanta waived Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff during the 2020 season.
Currently, there are four teams with official head coaching vacancies: the Falcons, Raiders, Chargers and Panthers, with more head coaching vacancies expected to open on Monday.
