Mularkey hired as Jacksonville head coach
Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey chats with the local media. (D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER/AJC)
UPDATE: The Jacksonville Jaguars have confirmed the hiring of former Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey as their third head coach.
The Florida Times-Union is reporting, through a source, that the Jaquars have hired Mike Mularkey as their new head coach.
FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is interviewing for the vacant head coach position with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Les Snead, the team’s director of player personnel is interviewing for the general manager’s post in St. Louis, today.
He’s set to interview with Miami later in the week.
Should Mularkey land the Jacksonville or Miami job, he could take a couple of assistant coaches with him. There has been very little turnover from Smith’s original staff. With former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s swift departure to the college ranks, five of the original 16 members have moved on to other jobs.
Mularkey was a candidate last season for head coaching jobs in Cleveland and Denver. He interviewed with Cleveland, but withdrew from the Denver search. Cleveland hired Pat Shurmur and Denver hired John Fox.
Mularkey’s son Patrick is a scouting assistant with the Jaguars. He wants to be a head coach again. He was Buffalo’s head coach in 2004-05 and posted a 14-18 record.
Mularkey and former offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave have been lauded league-wide for their fast development of quarterback Matt Ryan and for turning the Falcons’ offense into one of the league’s better units which has powered the team to a 43-21 record and three trips to the playoffs.
Mularkey is attractive because of his background in coaching power football. Jacksonville also needs someone to develop quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who struggled in his first year in the league. Miami will likely be in the market for a quarterback in the draft.
Mularkey was Miami’s offensive coordinator in 2006 and their tight ends coach in 2007.
Mularkey’s unit was stymied in the 24-2 loss to the New York Giants in the NFC wild-card playoff game on Sunday. The Falcons were 4 of 14 on third downs and 0 for 3 on fourth downs as they were kept out of the end zone.
Jacksonville dismissed Jack Del Rio this season. He was replaced on an interim basis by Mel Tucker. Miami parted ways with Tony Sparano.
After the 2010 season, Mularkey was selected as the coordinator of the year by The Sporting News.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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415 comments Add your comment
RJ Voorhees
January 10th, 2012
5:20 pm
This team is regressing
Falcons4Eva
January 10th, 2012
5:21 pm
DLED –
Look back at the losses the falcons had with the offense scored 15 points or less…that’s the problem. BVG had nothing to do with those horrendous losses…
I think they both should be let go. Period. This is a new age in offense for the NFL – Mike Mularkey/Mike Smith are behind the ball.
RJ Voorhees
January 10th, 2012
5:21 pm
This team is regressing and is only getting older. We need to make some serious changes
Falcons4Eva
January 10th, 2012
5:24 pm
DLED –
How on Earth can Mr. Blank say with a Straight face that this team did not take a step back ?
Clearly they did.
1.) Fewer Wins
2.) Didn’t win the conference
3.) More penalties.
4.) More inconsistency
5.) Fewer losses to teams with a winning record…
and it goes one.
Don Nelson
January 10th, 2012
5:24 pm
Lets hope his interview goes well, cause ATL needs a genuine OC and first rate QB coach. Raiders did what ATL needs to, they cleaned house with a new GM.Lets see who performs in 2012, Raiders or ATL.
Falcons4Eva
January 10th, 2012
5:26 pm
Mike Smith: ” In terms of our offense, we were inconsistent this year. We were inconsistent running the ball at times.”
With all due respect to the players who fail to execute a particular play, a lot of that has to be attributed to the person making the calls – Mike Mularkey. You certainly can’t fire all the players, The next one up is the OC – HE MUST GO! !
tyger
January 10th, 2012
5:26 pm
RG3 Scouting Report
Overall: 8.85
Robert Griffin has made a fast climb up my pre-draft rankings, starting the season as No. 33 overall and ending the regular season as the No. 2 overall player in the country. Griffin answered doubts about his deep accuracy, his mechanics and his ability to lead.
No player in college football or in the 2012 NFL draft class has the ability to take over a game like Griffin. His threat as a run/pass option and his exceptional arm strength and deep accuracy make him as exciting a prospect as I can remember scouting.
source: http://www.newerascouting.com/2011/12/12/robert-griffin-iii-2012-nfl-draft-scouting-report/
Falcons4Eva
January 10th, 2012
5:29 pm
I bet a million dollars that the Offensive line is going to be the scapegoat and not Mularkey.
If the Offensive line coach is fired, then so too should be Thomas Dimitiroff….for his failure to upgrade the line. Two players he selected were horrible and could have done better:
1.) Peria Jerry
2.) Sam Baker – (who was a reach to begin with (was injured in college) and we gave up draft picks for him.
those two are total bust ! !
Don Nelson
January 10th, 2012
5:32 pm
Based on the comments from AB, we now know who the brains were behind HD. Competent people hire top flight managers and let them go, this franchise does not TV hype, but genuine leadership from the top down. We have enough examples from sports to compare…it is not rocket science, but it does require leaving your egos at the door.
Bird Dawg Country
January 10th, 2012
5:33 pm
Got to let the emotions settle down after a dissapointing season.
Look at it as the glass half full. Still have a lot to fix, but a lot is in place already.
Calm down on the personal attacks towards players and other bloggers. Not constructive, classy, or cool.
ws
January 10th, 2012
5:38 pm
Falcons need some nasty on defense, Trade all of TD busts for SUH. Trade Dunta take off back for Chris Houston.Houston did cover, just forgot to turn his head. He has more INT’s than no show Dunta. Falcons paid him millions for two hits. One on Jackson and one on eagles other receiver.
Nique
January 10th, 2012
5:38 pm
Falcons4Eva
You asked if the -Line coach will be a fall guy, scapegoat, do you not believe that he deserves to be fired?
Bird Dawg Country
January 10th, 2012
5:38 pm
It’s obvious we need O-Line help, and help almost everywhere on defense. Not sure which picks we have in draft, but we have to hit a home run with this draft. Get immediate impact players. I know that’s hard to project. We have to play smart in free agency. Was Edwards a good pick up last year. Most are probably dissapointed in performance. Trades? Is something out there without a high price?
ZACK
January 10th, 2012
5:40 pm
PLEASE HIRE THIS DUDE ASAP! I WILL DRIVE HIM TO HIS NEW CITY ASAP!!!!
Bird Dawg Country
January 10th, 2012
5:42 pm
Are we going to take a big hit in this years draft due to trade-up for Julio last year?
Bro
January 10th, 2012
5:43 pm
I keep checking,but Mularkey is still with the falcons. Please, someone hire him away.
Bird Dawg Country
January 10th, 2012
5:45 pm
It’s gonna be an interesting off season….New coaches to hire. Players to replace. Players to add.
I say a very important year management and player personell wise for Dimitroff and Smith this year.
Arther Blank
January 10th, 2012
5:46 pm
My season tickets holders, wait, I’ll only charge a Benjamin for 2012.
Arther Blank
January 10th, 2012
5:47 pm
Yeah, Mike Malooski is still here. He sees the writing on the wall. I may have to pay those teams to hire him.
Falcons4Eva
January 10th, 2012
5:49 pm
D. Orlando Ledbetter, I read where you said you “ONLY REPORT THE FACTS”
Well here are some more FACTS:
Fact: Falcons @ Chicago Bears We lost. 30-12. Only scored 12 points – NO TOUCH DOWNS ! !
Fact: Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers We lost 16-13. Only scored 13 points. Against TAMPA ! !
Fact: Falcons Vs Green Bay Packers. The so-called “revenge game” We lost 25-14. Only scored 14 points ! !
Fact: Falcons @ Houston Texans. With a ROOKIE quarterback. We lost 17-10. Only scored 10 Points ! !
Fact: Falcons @ New Orleans Saints. We didin’t just lose this game. We got our @ssses-tore-up 45-16. Only scored 16 Pts.
Fact: Falcons @ New York Giants. The offense did not score at all…
Totally embarrassement. Losing 24-2 and not score against a team that was horrible all year against the pass.
Those sir are the facts that seems to fade away as we got further from those defeat.
Mr. Blank, Dimitroff and SMith want us to think this team did not take a step back? Who are they kidding….
Those loses points out an average score of less than 10 points per game…BVD had nothing to do with that. Mularkey sure as heck did sir.
tyger
January 10th, 2012
5:53 pm
Falcon Fans Rise Up!!!
- If Mgt. can’t make the tough decisions, rise up!
- If Mgt. stands behind a scoreless QB, rise up!
- If Mgt. bypasses another Heisman QB, rise up!
- If Mgt. produces an inferior product, rise up!
- If Mgt. sells an inferior/defective product, rise up!
- If you were humiliated Sunday, rise up!
- If you value your hard earned $, rise up!
- If you cant take it anymore, rise up!
- If your’e tired of being sick and tired, rise up!
- Why support their half-a$$ efforts???
ws
January 10th, 2012
5:59 pm
I see on this blog that falcons need to get faster in secondary. Walls 4.3,Franks 4.4, Owens I don’t know his time but he can run. Anyone that can run down Harvin and Sproles can move. Midget mite be the best CB on falcons, wearing heels he is 5′8″. Tell me how is he going to cover Jimmy Graham, and other big receivers in the NFL. They all are fast and can jump. Who do you think will come down with ball? Parcels will not draft CB’s less than 6′. DeCoud can run, after first year , he has regressed. Needs to be cut with Dunta.
Singletary would be a great hire for a few years. he would weed out the no shows on defense.
Forty-niner team was not build by JH in first year. Singletary needs to get some of credit.
MMartz does not need to come too falcons. He is a has been. Need new blood. If his name has two MM’s , we do not need him. Trying to get Mike Mularkey gone is bad enough. Please Jags hire him.And I hope Mike Smith goes with him.Falcons problems is not MM or BVG, its Smith.
UPDATE: Mularkey, Snead both on interviews today | Atlanta Falcons « Feeds « Local News Feeds
January 10th, 2012
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UGABugKiller
January 10th, 2012
6:04 pm
D-Led, you can report facts when you report on the team.
Here are facts: it’s obvious that Falcons players are sick and tired of Mike Mularkey. It sounds like Jason Cole didn’t have to go far to find these opinions from others not named Roddy White.
National writers all year long have been hinting that there is a LARGE disconnect not only between the players and Smith & Mularkey, but between what Dimitroff wants and what Smith & Mularkey basically refused to do.
These aren’t opinions. They’re facts. Cole was the first to do more than hint. If there’s the very real unrest and dissension in the Falcons locker room, and there is and it’s been going on all year, we should hear it from the AJC not nation writers.
That’s what I’m saying.
JSS
January 10th, 2012
6:05 pm
@ SirReal…
If we haven’t killed each other off by now, it will never happen… It is the proverbial rolling the boulder up a steep grade (AJC Blog version). ;- )
extremus
January 10th, 2012
6:12 pm
It might help matters if our wide receivers (Roddy White included) actually caught passes thrown in their hands more often.
SirReal
January 10th, 2012
6:15 pm
D. Led
I’m sure I’m not the first to say that. Look forward to hearing from you sparingly in the offseason as things will slow down majorly in the next couple of months before the draft. Hope you go on a nice vacy with the fam or something!
Just wanna say thanks for a good report during the season sir. Enjoyed your ties…I think you rubbed off on Julio Jones on draft day my friend.
@JSS I’ve grown to love everyone’s personality on here. The regs are all funny in there own way. From you two to guys like SeenThisB4 and Hiramsaint, why watch TV?lol J/K It’s all in good fun. We all are passionate about things we like so it’s all good.
With that said….if Mularkey leaves, who would you guys like to see? And as far as DC, who’s out there really beyond Del Rio who isnt trying to get a head coaching gig,etc?
Ol' Ball Coach
January 10th, 2012
6:26 pm
Take a knee. Here is how this will play out. The former OC of the Vikings that went 15-1 with Chris Carter (roddy) and Randy Moss (Julio) with Robert Smith at rb (turner??) and not much on defense (Atlanta d, always) will be our OC. Welcome to Atlanta, Brian Billick. Our DC will come from the former DC in Baltimore, and Steeler great, Jack Rivers (Del Rio). These guys all know each other and drink the same type kool-aid. We will then learn about Matt Ryan and his hop-step wind up to throw up 35 yard ducks. Look for the new backup QB to have an arm right out of the howitzer catalog, and another RB with some “wiggle”. Good luck, Snelling and Redman. Also have a feeling that large, angry blockers are coming to take the place of large content ones. Abe comes back only @ 50% off, and our free safety is just UNSAFE. Bye bye perry jerry….you needed 40 more pounds or at least 10 tackles…..let me know if you guys want more…
cedrick
January 10th, 2012
6:35 pm
Whether that scrubb gets the job or not he needs to leave the Falcons!!!!
CDOG
January 10th, 2012
6:37 pm
ONE GOOD THING ABOUT THE FALCONS IS, ARTHUR B BLANKS WANT TO WIN AND HE WILL SPEND MONEY TO BRING IN A TOP- NOTCH COORDINATOR UNLIKE THE HAWKS WITH RICK SUND WHO IS CHEAP AND NOT WORRIED ABOUT WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP BUT MONEY, SAD GM IN SUND.
ATL Observer
January 10th, 2012
6:44 pm
For the love of God Jacksonville, please help the Falcons help themselves!!!!
I’m not sure who the next OC should be, but I’m sure who it should NOT be, and MM is it. He did well for a while and I wish him no ill will but the team will stagnate if he stays a day longer (actually they already have).
And please ditch whoever’s coaching the QB and the receivers. When the throw’s off target, it doesn’t get fixed, when it’s on target, Roddy or Julio are dropping it half the time.
Jeff
January 10th, 2012
6:49 pm
Please, Please hire him. He is one dimensional……
JSS
January 10th, 2012
6:50 pm
@ Sir Real…
I’m not a usual suspects person. John Mitchell is D-line coach and Asst. Head coach with Steelers. Jim Leavitt, the old USF coach is coaching LBs in San Francisco, he’s seen the VIc Fangio scheme up close. I’d like for them to talk to him. I respect the body of work of Steve Spagnuolo; but I’ve known for quite awhile that Jeff Lurie and Robert Kraft have been trying to get get the best of crop to their respective teams. And now with a non-Al Davis owned Oakland Raiders job open, I lot of people who open for coordinators can now look at the big chair… And who is Jeff Fisher going to choose for his staff? The dominos will flow that hire… But ultimately, do you really trust Mike Smith making the choice?
Bobo
January 10th, 2012
6:51 pm
Hire me. I’ll get Ryan going and we’ll kick azzzz
JSS
January 10th, 2012
6:59 pm
Although he said he wants to “do other things;” I call Clarence Shelmon (he just quit in San Diego as the OC). He has Norv Turner’s playbook without Norv’s baggage…
JSS
January 10th, 2012
7:01 pm
“flow = follow”
afan
January 10th, 2012
7:06 pm
Joe Philbin Packer Offensive Coordinator’s son was found dead yesterday in a river. Joe would do a good job with Falcons and can be had.
Dirk Koetter is also available for OC. Also good pick.
Brian Schottenheimer from Jets is available.
Coach Ernest Byner also very good coach available.
I believe TD will make 75% of decision on who they hired while Smith get the other 25%. Just get a very good one.
Realfalconfan
January 10th, 2012
7:10 pm
man i just seen my butt and i need a bleaching too
yodaddybrother
January 10th, 2012
7:15 pm
He’s outta here regardless
Greg M
January 10th, 2012
7:30 pm
We need no help in running game. Just get fullback back. He is a beast.
FalconUGAFan
January 10th, 2012
7:38 pm
@JSS I like it when you talk real football…You are a very well-informed person…I just for the life of me can’t understand why you feel the need to get into the weeds with people.
FalconUGAFan
January 10th, 2012
7:40 pm
Opps hit submit too fast…I wanted to say that its really beneath you and I appreciate the information you bring to the table. I’m a pretty casual fan, but now I have some names to check out….Anyway nice work.
MountainMan
January 10th, 2012
7:42 pm
Prediction: Alabama coach Kirby Smart will become Falcon D Coordinator.
The Shermanator
January 10th, 2012
8:06 pm
Arthur Blank is Breaking my heart!!! He is way too soft, and wont man up and fire who needs to be-VanGorder and Mularkey….and Smith next year if he doesnt make the Superbowl. He breaks my heart because I was talking to a NY Giant fan today and he said he wont accept anything less than a Superbowl victory and even a lost Superbowl is unnaceptable and a wasted season, doesnt matter if they go 18-0 and lose the Superbowl…thats why they WIN!!!! He said the biggest difference between places like NY, Philly, GB, and Chicago versus ATL is that they are full of pressure and produce WINNERS….and ATLANTA stacks its roster with soft, weak hearted players and coaches like Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Mike Smith among others. WE are losers with LOSER players with LOSER mentalities here in ATL, just face the truth. The Braves, the Hawks, the Falcons, the Bulldogs-doesnt matter, he said our fans dont have any heart and that the players soak up the fans loser mentality and no pressure atmosphere…thats why they do good in the regular season, but then always get crushed by the pressure and LIVELY (they live for this) cities elsewhere, (Chicago Bullls beating Hawks, Phillies beating Braves, Green Bay and NY beating Falcons). It is embarrassing, and AS A PASSIONATE, LIFELONG, DIE HARD ATLANTA SPORTS FAN OF THE BRAVES, HAWKS, FALCONS, AND GEORGIA BULLDOGS….It pains me that you, Arthur Blank, do not hold each and every player, coach, and trainer responsible for his performance. It is an undeniable fact that Mularkey, Smith, and VanGorder were terrible this year, and have crashed and burned in the playoffs 3 times under this regime. Great news to hear VanGorder took the honorable root, now get Mularkey out of here and give Smith one more year to improve in the playoffs or he’s done. Its that simple Arthur. Thank You.
A Concerned Fan
angry mangy mutt
January 10th, 2012
8:28 pm
Dimitroff is the greater problem. He has some some good, but has done some serious damage too. Drafting injury prone guys on a regular basis, trading away picks on a possibility, throwing money at whichever free agent. None of this is the Patriot way, which I think is why he was brought in. He has ignored the OL, as we all should know, is the foundation for offensive success. Doubt Smith envisioned an explosive offense, yetTD believed it was just an expensive draft pick away…what qb had he been watching the past few seasons. And the D…largely a zone D but with a slowish LB in the middle. Zone Ds often reflect the ma in the middle…remember the Bucs just a short time ago? Bears?
I RESPECT WHAT HAS BEEN DONE HERE, back to back winning seasons and now back to back trips to playoffs. Had the experts fooled – no real accomplishment there though. Feel sorry for the fans who believed the hype. Always remember, this is a team in Atlanta.
SCFalcon
January 10th, 2012
8:41 pm
Brad Childress and Mike Nolan
SirReal
January 10th, 2012
9:28 pm
@JSS Yeah, I agree about Spag. I think he’d be innovative. No I dont trust Smith to do it.lol But do I trust TD at this point?lol This team is gonna look a LOT different next year b/c the D is gonna take a hit. PERFECT time to install a new system. I dont know who to bring in…I’d love to see a 3-4 here. That would open up a lot of choices for me then. I know personnel may be an issue but I think it would be great and would throw off our division a bit. Yet….I can keep dreaming.lol
JSS
January 10th, 2012
10:00 pm
I just don’t see them getting the athletic and most important talented Hampton/Raji type required to really get a 3-4 going here… I think Smith didn’t think he’d be searching for offensive talent as much as he has (draft/FA)… When he came into this division, he only QBs (aside of Brees) with strange resumes and limitations in the way… Delhomme and Griese/Garcia did not exactly make you think you’d have to be averaging 35 points per game then… I think Henderson and Stroud spoiled him in Jacksonville. They made his D-ends seem much more talented and the Mathis/Darius combo in the secondary covered up a lot of issues…
Stinger
January 10th, 2012
10:04 pm
Dimitroff traded the farm for Julio..our qb is not that good…we got 3 huge defensive guys leaving(potentially)..our rb takes too long to get going..we’ve got issues. We(the fans) may as well get ready for a few real lean years.
CONservative Johnson
January 10th, 2012
10:13 pm
Woohoo Murlarkey and BVG are GONE!