Bill Musgrave leaves to join the Minnesota Vikings
Quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave talks with D.J. Shockley as they walk off the field after losing to the Ravens at the Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com
FLOWERY BRANCH – Bill Musgrave, the Falcons former assistant head coach/quarterbacks, accepted a position as the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday.
“We thank Bill for his contributions that he made to our team,” Falcons head coach Mike Smith said. “We wish him all the best with his promotion with the Vikings.”
Musgrave was granted permission by Smith to interview with the Minnesota Vikings and the Cleveland Browns. He interviewed with the Browns on Tuesday and with the Vikings on Wednesday.
“The organization is first class all the way and Leslie Frazier is first class all the way,” Musgrave said in a statement released by the Vikings. “The players on the offensive side of the ball are very attractive to be associated with. I’m looking forward to utilizing their strengths to get fantastic results. The offensive weapons on this squad are impressive.
“We as a staff will look forward to utilizing each and every one of them to attack defenses. I first met Leslie about 10 years ago when he was in Philadelphia and we’ve stayed in touch over the years. I look forward to working with him here and moving forward.”
Musgrave was granted permission by Falcons coach Mike Smith to interview with the Minnesota Vikings and the Cleveland Browns. He interviewed with the Browns on Tuesday and with the Vikings on Wednesday.
Musgrave was promoted to assistant head coach last offseason when the Houston Texans attempted to hire him away.
Bill Musgrave
Musgrave joined Jim Mora’s staff in 2006. He was kept on after the Bobby Petrino disaster and has been instrumental in the development of quarterback Matt Ryan, who threw 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions while guiding the Falcons to a 13-3 regular-season record and the NFC South title.
Cleveland was thought to be Musgrave’s preference because they are set to run the West Coast offense and have a talented young quarterback in Colt McCoy. Minnesota finished the season with third-stringer Joe Webb.
Musgrave played in the West Coast offense for the San Francisco 49ers from 1991-1994.
Because of the promotion last season, the Falcons could have denied Musgrave permission to interview. But while
Smith wanted to keep his staff together, he didn’t want to stand in Musgrave’s way if he wanted to leave.
The Falcons coaching staff is set to coach in the Pro Bowl and will leave for Hawaii on Tuesday.
Possible replacements for Musgrave include Jeff Jagodzinski, who was Ryan’s head coach at Boston College. He served as the offensive line coach for the Falcons from 2004 to 2005. He was head coach of the Omaha Nighthawks in the UFL last season.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter
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124 comments Add your comment
ATL FAN
January 20th, 2011
6:56 pm
Hell yes, now he can’t become our OC… good luck with him
realitycheck
January 20th, 2011
8:24 pm
Sounds to me that some of these bloggers drank that spiked kool-aid that I passed up on. I never bought in that this Falcon team would go anywhere in the playoffs. They overachieved and lucked their way to that regular season record, before the Packers gave them the NFL’s all time worst beatdown for a #1 seed. I know that loss was hard to digest, but don’t blame me for seeing it coming. Are some of you the same ones who said that UGA was a darkhorse for last year’s CFB National Championship? I do not have a crystal ball for next season, but I expect the Falcons to definitely fall off. I just don’t think their talent is all that good, but we will see what they do in the offseason relative to their many needs. I will be very surprised if they repeat as division champs next season. The Falcons blew as good of a chance this season that they’ve ever had in franchise history, and don’t expect another one like that for a very long time.
No hope now
January 20th, 2011
8:58 pm
Reality Check man are you speaking the truth. I feel the same way. I don’t agree to the fullest extent but I know what your saying. If this team ever wins a SB it will be the tough-under-everybodys-nose-giants upset-type way. No. 1 seed, homefield advantage, 13-3 and you get blown out?? IF you can’t even come close to a SB with top accolades like that then you might never will win it with the top accolades. Its gonna have to be through a WC berth like the packers are something. This team got too comfortable. THe problem they got comfortable IS BECAUSE THE SCHEMES ARE TOO CONSERVATIVE. And when you see a team with a top 10 offense and top 10 defense such as the packers YOU CAN’T FALL ASLEEP NOT ONE BIT. Thats what happened, I agree. I think we might go 8-8 or 9-7 after what I saw last saturday night and us letting musgrave go. ITS BS keeping murlarkey around. The process smitty is talking about isn’t coming along they way I know he thought it would. This is still an offensive team AND THAT SIDE OF THE BALL IS GETTING WORSE THE MORE MURLARKEY KEEPS COACHING IT. The problems that I’ve been watching as well the last 3 years, ALL OF IT IMPLODED WHEN WE FACED THE PACKERS. It was a big wake up call. Better pass protection, more weapons for ryan, better play calling, stronger secondary, etc. The whole works. WE NEED THOSE THINGS JUST TO COMPETE IN THE PLAYOFFS, as we got spanked by the packers without those things. Letting musgrave go was the final straw for me as a fan, Im just not sold on this team anymore. THEY NEED A BIG OFF-SEASON TO GET MY ATTENTION BACK, call me what you want but I saw this coming as well BUT IT WAS WORST THAN I THOUGHT. We’re the laughing stock of the NFL right now
realitycheck
January 20th, 2011
9:51 pm
no hope now……Dude, we must be looking through a different set of glasses than many others on this blog. Most fans just don’t have the ability to be objective when it could negatively affect the the feeling of attachment that they have invested into their team(s). Could the Falcons win the division next season? Sure they can, but many of the things that broke their way in 2010 will have to again for them to repeat as division champs. I am very aware of the garbage between Falcon and Saint fans that goes on on this blog, but getting past that, many of us realists expect the Saints to be good next season. We would be foolish to think otherwise. The same is true of the Bucs. The Falcons found a way to win both games at the end this season, but that task will not get any easier. The Panthers have no way to go but up, and they should certainly win more than 2 games, but what was a guaranteed 2-0 in 2010, might not be in 2011. And with the NFC North replacing the NFC West, the schedule gets tougher not only for the Falcons but for the other divisional opponents too. This means that a wild card is less likely to come from the NFC South than it was in 2010. The Falcons might surprise us again next season, but we would be being extremely foolish to expect that.
Waffle House or Bust
January 20th, 2011
10:55 pm
ESPN pretty much just came out and laughed at Atlanta defense tonight. I hope we don’t draft another WR and get some more help in that secondary.
Shi*s weak! – Grandma’s Boy
JSS
January 20th, 2011
10:55 pm
Ah, “The Protective Bunker” AKA The Ledbetter-Falcons Blog! And they are still trying to shout down the Saints, Bucs, Steelers, Eagles, and Packers fans… But even their owner, one Arthur Blank called them out in front of the Buckhead Business Association! Enjoy your echo chamber “Snarky Central,” the rest of the World is moving on!
LAST
January 20th, 2011
11:54 pm
The falcons are 53 players away from a good team. Just for once, I like to see them finishing first at something. I may get my wish next year because if they finish dead last they will get the number one pick in the draft. Cannot wait until next year. Go away falcons and take the braves, hawks and threshers with you, but leave the Dreams.
LAST
January 20th, 2011
11:57 pm
Are the falcons going to Super Bowl this year? Yes, and watch.
LAST
January 20th, 2011
11:59 pm
What has 2 large wings but cannot fly? A dead falcon.
Alternate Reality
January 21st, 2011
8:25 am
“many of us realists expect the Saints to be good next season”
Dude, you are in la la land. tell us again about your crystal ball and all that.
Alternate Reality
January 21st, 2011
8:28 am
and please keep coming back here to share the lunacy. What’s that again? The Falcons got lucky and the aints didn’t. The aints, bucs, and panthers are going to get better but the Falcons aren’t. Somebody’s yearning for last year.
swampfox59
January 21st, 2011
8:38 am
Jamarcus Webb is Joe Russell’s brother
Think
January 21st, 2011
10:24 am
“Most fans just don’t have the ability to be objective when it could negatively affect the the feeling of attachment that they have invested into their team(s). Could the Falcons win the division next season? Sure they can, but many of the things that broke their way in 2010 will have to again for them to repeat as division champs.”
Substitute “Falcons” for “Aints” and “2010″ for “2009″ in the above and I think you’ve got something here. Hey, you’d be correct! They didn’t get the breaks and didn’t even win their division.
realitycheck
January 21st, 2011
11:26 am
alternate reality and think…You guys are just bitter because you bought into this Falcons team. Have you already called Delta to exchange those tickets to Dallas for vouchers? You wanted it so bad that you could taste it, and all of your heart and emotion went into it, and now you are as deflated as a popped balloon. Blame me if you want, but you basically bought a bad stock. I am not a Saints or Bucs fan, but I feel that one of them will win the NFC South next season. The Falcons blew their chance and you guys will just have to live with that. And you thought that a team that ran nearly 1100 plays and had one play all season of 50 or more yards(and that was a run) would make the Superbowl. No speed, no explosion, and no where near elite talent, and boy did Green Bay expose all of that. 10-6 at the best next year, and that’s only if the injury bug doesn’t hit, because eventually it gets everyone.
Thanks for Clarifying
January 21st, 2011
12:48 pm
Oh, good thing you’re not a saints fan. They’re terrible.
realitycheck
January 21st, 2011
1:52 pm
thanks for clarifying….If you think they’re(Saints) terrible, then what does that say about the Falcons. The Saints were an extra point length field goal from sweeping them. The Saints were injured and underachieved this season and still got 11 wins. The Falcons were overachievers all year(talent not that good), and capitalized on near perfect health to win two more games than the Saints did. The Saints have better coaching than the Falcons, and their GM Loomis has consistently drafted better than Dimitroff has. 27 wins including a Superbowl the last two years is not too shabby. So if this team is terrible, the Falcons must really be the pits. And by the way……thanks for clarifying……how many of these names do you have on here?
Thanks for Clarifying
January 21st, 2011
3:44 pm
“win two more games than the Saints did.” If you’ll look this up, it means that the aints finished behind the Falcons
Unfortunatly, in the NFL, the ball has to go through the uprights for it to count. Often it doesn’t and it would certainly change everything completely to allow for you to go wishing this and wishing that. Which is what you are doing, I think, wishing the aints were better. Sorry Mr. Bitterman, you can take your aint trolling crap elsewhere.
ctfalconsfan
January 21st, 2011
4:13 pm
DOL I keep checking back to see when we are going to fire Mularkey but nothing???
So am I to assume next year we are also shooting for the least 20+ yard plays in NFL, no screen passes and really no imagination on offense?? Very frustrating..
We got lucky in several games this year which was great, it’s part of the game, but next year we play the NFC North which is is obviously stronger from top to bottom than the west as well as the AFC south which has 3 solid teams versus only 2 from AFC North. TB is improving and Carolina can only go up so where are we, just complacent?
If we want to be an elite team we need to step up and not be satisfied with an offense that was ranked 8th in 08′ and 16th this year, we are regressing..
realitycheck
January 21st, 2011
4:49 pm
Thanks for Clarifying….. You got it all wrong pal. I bet that Green bay game was a painful experience wasn’t it. Remember Bucs and Saints got the Lombardi’s. Take your narrow one sided views back to your tree stand. And you better hurry, because hunting season ends soon!
realitycheck
January 21st, 2011
4:55 pm
ctfalconsfan…. That’s about how I see it too. It’s nice that there actually are some objective writers out there.
Thanks for clarifying
January 21st, 2011
5:06 pm
The saints did not get the Lombardi. Again, they finished behind the Falcons as did the Bucs. Your comments are a far cry from objective but it seems you are pretty slow to catch on.
realitycheck
January 21st, 2011
5:42 pm
Thanks for clarifying…. The saints did not get the Lombardi? They got it last year, and the Bucs got it in Jan ‘03. Your arguments have no point and are quite inaccurate. Have you been on another planet?
No hope now
January 21st, 2011
9:15 pm
@ ctfalconsfan Thats what I’ve been saying, THE OFFENSE IS GETTING WORSE WHILE THE DEFENSE IS GETTING BETTER, and its because of murlarkey. This offense will never be anything big unless they start to loosen it up more and stop being conservative. But thats how murlarkey offense is. His way or the highway. Musgrave took the highway and rightfully so………..
Fellow Saints Fan
January 22nd, 2011
3:15 pm
Ring. Ring….
“Hello?”
“Yeah, may I speak to Reality Check?”
“This is Reality Check.”
“Ok, this is Fellow Saints Fan. We didn’t win the Lombardi this year.”
“We didn’t?”
Nope, that was last year. This year, didn’t even win our division. Got blown out, too, by the seahawks.”
“By the seahawks?!!”
“Yep, the meat is completely off the ‘won the superbowl’ bone”
“You mean I shouldn’t be trolling the Falcons blog?”
“That’d by pretty dumb, my fellow saints fan.”