Falcons hire Mike Nolan as new defensive coordinator
We know that Mike Nolan likes to wear suits. We'll have to see if needs some advice on bow-ties. (Associated Press)
The Falcons hired Mike Nolan, who received his start in coaching from Dan Reeves, as their new defensive coordinator on Tuesday.
He replaces Brian VanGorder, who left the team last week to become Auburn’s new defensive coordinator.
Nolan is considered a 3-4 coach. But Falcons coach Mike Smith’s respect for him from their days together in Baltimore runs deep. They will blend the principles of Nolan’s 3-4 with Smith’s 4-3.
The Falcons hired Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator on Sunday.
Team owner Arthur Blank expects the new coordinators to bring a new set of eyes and expertise to the team.
“Their ability . . . to be totally objective, cold-hearted and unemotional about the young men that we have on the roster [should be an asset],” Blank said. “[We’ll] bring in some folks that will be able to give us maybe some new perspective, maybe some different perspective not only on team questions, but on player issues that we may have as well.”
Despite revamping the secondary and trying to bolster the pass rush, the Falcons struggled to improve their pass defense. Since 2008, they’ve ranked 21st (2008, 220.4), 28th (2009, 241.9), 22nd (2010, 226.6) and 20th (2011, 236.6).
“Moving forward, this defense needs to continue its growth and evolution as a passionate and fiery defense, one that is going to fly to the football, disrupt, be opportunistic and capitalized on opportunities to turn the game around; flip the game in critical situations,” general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “We’ll look for a coordinator who will [aid] Coach Smith and his approach to putting that type of aggressive defense on the field.”
Nolan has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for 14 seasons. He also was San Francisco’s head coach from 2005 to 2008.
“Mike Nolan is an established coordinator in this League,” said Falcons head coach Mike Smith in a statement released by the team. “He brings more than 25 years of NFL experience to our team and has been a coordinator at this level for 14 years. Mike has a history of developing physically intimidating defensive units, and we are fortunate to have him join our staff.”
Nolan spent the last two seasons as the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator.
Last season, the Dolphins boasted the third best run defense in the NFL, allowing just 95.6 yards per game and 3.7 yards per carry. His defense also produced 41 sacks which ranked tied for 10th in the NFL and allowed the sixth fewest points per game at 19.6. The Dolphins also ranked seventh in third-down percentage (33.8) and sixth in red zone defense, holding opponents to a 44.2 touchdown percentage inside the 20.
In 2010, Nolan’s defense ranked among the league’s top ten in overall defense, pass defense and run defense, and was one of just five units in the League to accomplish that feat. Nolan joined Miami after spending the 2009 season as the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos. Under his tutelage, Denver’s defense improved to seventh in the NFL in total defense after finishing 29th in 2008. Denver’s pass defense was equally impressive, ranking third in the NFL, allowing just 186.3 yards per game through the air.
Prior to joining the Broncos’ staff, Nolan served as the San Francisco 49ers’ head coach from 2005 to 2008. During Nolan’s four-year tenure with the club, the 49ers were one of the NFL’s most consistent teams in stopping the run. San Francisco ranked fourth in the league in yards per carry during that period surrendering just 3.9 yards per rush.
Nolan spent four seasons in Baltimore from 2001 to 2004, including the last three as the defensive coordinator. Nolan’s group tied for the NFL lead in takeaways (106) while ranking fifth in the league in both points per game allowed (18.8) and third down percentage (34.7). He also coached five Ravens defenders to nine trips to the Pro Bowl, while tutoring back-to-back AP Defensive Players of the Year in LB Ray Lewis (2003) and S Ed Reed (2004).
The New York Giants made Nolan the NFL’s youngest defensive coordinator in 1993 at the age of 34. He spent the next eight seasons as a defensive coordinator with the Giants (1993-96), Redskins (1997-99) and Jets (2000). In his first year with the Giants, his defense led the League allowing just 12.8 points per game. His coaching career began at his alma mater, Oregon University, where he served as a graduate assistant in 1981. He went on to coach at Stanford University and Rice University as a linebackers and defensive backs coach before the Denver Broncos hired him to be the special teams/linebackers coach in 1987. He spent six seasons with the Broncos and helped the team reach the Super Bowl in the 1987 and 1989 seasons.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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404 comments Add your comment
bobby
January 17th, 2012
10:41 pm
I am old school at heart so I wonder if he have some fun with the defense and do some 3-4 and bring back the old 4-6
Q-ball
January 17th, 2012
10:45 pm
The people that say Matt Ryan does not have an arm has no clue. As I recall his first pas in the league was a deep Pass for td and the best pass he ever made was a great sideline throw to Michael Jenkins in great comeback vs the niners? He has plenty of arm just needs to work on pocket presence(happy feet). oline was bad in the middle and give him more time in pocket and time in league and he will be great!
Caleb
January 17th, 2012
10:46 pm
I couldnt wait for the third pick in the draft. then we took matty ice. i couldnt believe it what a horrible pick. thats what we took with the third pick. then i watched him play and i am the biggest fan. i love ryan, white, jones, turner, gonzo, and the defense should be sooo much better under nolan.
ANTMAN
January 17th, 2012
10:52 pm
At least the DC has a good resume> The OC has the worst record in the NFL. I just don’t understand.Well I guess it’s a lot easier to transform your buddies into your mind set. With that said don’t look for anything but conservitness on offense, and soft cussion on defense. If he changed Van Gruder’s style of play calling. He’ll change Nolan to work alone his line of thinking.
Q-ball
January 17th, 2012
10:53 pm
Cut our drops in half and ryan’s stats would even be much better. They were excellent with those drops. Roddy needs to step up!
Neal
January 17th, 2012
10:56 pm
Great hire with Nolan. Now complete the staff by grabbing Jim Caldwell as QB coach. Peyton Manning had not won a playoff game until Caldwell became his QB coach. He can move Ryan to the next level.
Q-ball
January 17th, 2012
10:57 pm
Give koetter a chance. If we have a screen game and can run it good we will be very good. Tired of the negativity in the middle of the best run in falcons history!
christophorm
January 17th, 2012
10:58 pm
Bring back Jerry Glanville atleast he was intertaining, with the elvis ticket.
Michael M.
January 17th, 2012
11:02 pm
lol @ Elvis comment
Caleb
January 17th, 2012
11:05 pm
I have given Koetter a chance. I rooted for him with boise state and even at arizona state. but he has no buisiness being in the nfl
Michael M.
January 17th, 2012
11:07 pm
Don’t expect alot out of these new hires too soon. They have to find new places to live ,settle in and get moved into and family things also to take care of…………real life stuff to take care of first before settling in to taking on the task at hand.
Falcon
January 17th, 2012
11:07 pm
WTF
mock1
January 17th, 2012
11:10 pm
After years of the bend and break marshmallow defense ANY change is better than what we have had the last 4yrs !!!
Falcon
January 17th, 2012
11:11 pm
Loser should not hire another loser. Now, falcons have three of them, are there more out there? come and join them, falcons can never have enough. blank wants new set of eyes, he got some blinds.
Falcon
January 17th, 2012
11:21 pm
Loser should not hire another loser. Now, falcons have three of them, are there more out there? come and join them, falcons can never have enough. blank wanted new set of eyes, he got new set of blinds.
Michael M.
January 17th, 2012
11:24 pm
Onward and Upwards………things are already looking better than a few weeks ago to me………lets see who else they add to fill the rest of the positions
Q-ball
January 17th, 2012
11:28 pm
The loser comments must come from non falcon fans. Maybe u would rather be a buffalo or ram fan now. The falcons will be good again. U must have a good o and d to win in this league. It is not one or the other!
Greg Mendel
January 17th, 2012
11:30 pm
Four straight winning seasons and three playoff appearances. Yep, the Falcons are losers. Long gone are those glory days of Joey Harrington, Petrino, the Swamp Fox and Glanville. And here they go hiring an OC who just finished up 32nd in the league. I wonder how the same Koetter finished at the top in 2007. Pat Peppler was secretly running his offense, I reckon.
Q-ball
January 17th, 2012
11:35 pm
It’s called talent. The jags had none. See what happens with the falcs talent.
Greyhound721
January 17th, 2012
11:38 pm
There should be a good NT to snatch up in the 2nd or 3rd round with Dontari Poe out of Memphis, Josh Chapman from Bama, and Alameda Ta’amu out of Washington. I would like us to switch to a true 3-4 by 2013
Gritsfalcon
January 17th, 2012
11:39 pm
I wonder who decided to offer him the position? It certianly wasn’t Smith or Dimitroff or McKay because I think this is actually a SMART move, so it DEFINITELY rules the three of them out–a veteran NFL coach!!! Ah yes, of course, “he coached with Mike Smith at Baltimore….” More cronyism!! That tells me that “Smitty” still has too much “control” of things. Especially bringing in a 3-4 coach to run a 4-3 system.
D-Led, I wonder how long it will be before you start writing of conflicts between Smith and Nolan?
Joe Blow
January 17th, 2012
11:39 pm
Spags had great personnel in New York when they won the Super Bowl, but he did’t do S H * T in St. Louis! Granted the Rams had the injury bug last year, but they were horrible!!! With the exception of Chris Long, he wasn’t able to groom any of his defensive draft picks into being stars. Nolan is an all around better coach than Williams. All Williams knows how to do is blitz, which cost him his job!
It’s no surprise that Mike Smith hired someone he is familiar with! That happens all the time. Continue playing Madden 2012 and living in your fantasy world while the Falcons win ball games!!!
I’m pumped up about both of our hires and already excited about next season. RISE UP!!!!
Gritsfalcon
January 17th, 2012
11:41 pm
I HATE the 3-4, it is soooooooooo college! The 4-3 is a REAL NFL defense !!!
But, hey, if Nolan can make it work I’ll be happy to eat the crow!!!
Michael M.
January 17th, 2012
11:42 pm
You can please some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time……..I just laugh em off….we all know it takes the right chemistry to make it all work. Some just want to complain. This is by far about the best Staff Atlanta has ever had at one time with the player depth they have on that Roster expect better things . I was getting down in the dumps about the football team after the playoff loss but Blank and Company are moving quickly with these changes and its showing me he means business and not playing no games about it.
Greg Mendel
January 17th, 2012
11:42 pm
Does it count as “cronyism” if the Falcons hire somebody Mike Smith once met at a yard sale?
WS
January 17th, 2012
11:42 pm
I think they have gotten this one right. I think they picked a good DC. He has been good wherever he has been.I love this coach, think he will be better than spag!
We have players that can run the 3-4. Nose tackles does not have to be 350 lbs. Wade Phillips does not use big nose tackles. When he was with falcons Ed Jasper didn’t weight 300lbs and was a very good nose tackle. Raliff with cowboys is a good nose tackle.
We will have a defense now if Smith will stay out of Nolan business.
WS
January 17th, 2012
11:46 pm
You might hate the 3-4 defense, look at the team that run it. I think all in playoffs, other than Falcons and Gaints, run 3-4.
Chris
January 17th, 2012
11:47 pm
Better than I expected after the past week. Now let’s get some guys who can rush the QB.
inmyopinion
January 17th, 2012
11:49 pm
I believe to win championships you have either have an exceptional (top 5)defence or offense. You can get by with either side being average, they just have to play up to their potential or better in the playoffs. However you your top 5 offense or defense has to perform and carry you. The final 4 teams this year either have exceptional offences or defenses in combination with an average unit performing above expectations. The Falcons need to decide if they have the quarterback to be top 5 in offense. I believe not. So they better focus on improving the defence. Similar to San Fran. or Baltimore.
Michael M.
January 17th, 2012
11:49 pm
I think D-Led had a tweet earlier about they was going to stay with the 4-3 defense but who knows, they may try mixing it up a bit. I hope we get the blitz back now some and go after these big dog qb’s next Season .
Greg Mendel
January 17th, 2012
11:50 pm
@ Michael M. — I agree. I hated the playoff losses to GB and the Giants. But those calling the current team “losers” is a real stretch. I was disappointed at times during the past season, but disappointment beats back-to-back-to-back decades of hopelessness.
Michael M.
January 17th, 2012
11:55 pm
Mpst times the ones always complaining are actually the real losers so whatever you know?
WS
January 17th, 2012
11:58 pm
Zig , Wade Phillips was not the Dc when Falcons went to Superbowl. Brooks was DC. Phillips came after Brooks went to Kentucky. Phillip was coach when Falcons played Eagle NFC championship game.
rash
January 18th, 2012
12:01 am
@tgueboy.. your quote[ i prefer spaggs] dude really i dont think they care about who you prefer and you are another that any change the falcons make you will cut there throats before you give them a chance the falcons in my opinion have 2 of the top coordinators in koetter & nolan good job smitty and td
WS
January 18th, 2012
12:01 am
Spags was a good coach with Gaints, but looks like Fewell is doing ok with them. With all the lineman Gaints have I think I or all one could be a good DC with their talented linemen.
Michael M.
January 18th, 2012
12:03 am
I wonder how many players will be resigned from last Season…..read something about like 18 becoming free agents and they were actually interested in only about 8 or 9 out of them all.
ohhhhYEAH
January 18th, 2012
12:12 am
Three things this hire does for the Falcons:
1. Dunta Robinson will no longer have to play zone coverage. In Houston, he excelled in playing tight man coverage, and keep in mind he had to play Harrison and Wayne twice a year. He was bred to play in a man-cover scheme. It’s what he did in college at South Carolina and that’s what Houston drafted him to do. In Atlanta, his cover skills have been exponentially under-utilized due to the cover 2 zones BVG used. Expect big things in ‘12 from Dunta.
2. Gives us a multitude of options as far as who/what our scheme uses. Big time FA on the market this year that would fit well in a 3-4 defense. IF we let Abe walk, and IF we let Lofton walk(I doubt Lofton leaves), then we could pick up Mario Williams, Robert Mathis is out there, NT from Miami everyone keeps talking about (which isn’t unlikely considering where Nolan just came from), and two or three other good defensive backs.
3. FINALLY brings a sound PROFESSIONAL defensive approach to the team. BVG was solid, at the very best of days, while heading the defensive unit. Nolan has never known anything but success with his defensive teams. He sets standards high and if you don’t meet them, expect to be cut or replaced.
I’m quite looking forward to what the 2012 season will bring to the ATL. Is it July yet?
Timmy
January 18th, 2012
12:42 am
I just need Matt Ryan to step up and make some plays. Quit trying to be Peyton Manning. You’re not that smart and you’re not that good, and Peyton only one won Super Bowl. Quit thinking so much and use your weapons. Hit Julio in stride with a purposeful pass and see what might happen …
Timmy
January 18th, 2012
12:46 am
OK so I’ll admit my one won was off … but my opinion about my QB holds true …
PaulieOldSchool
January 18th, 2012
12:53 am
Personally, I am much happier with the DC hire than I was with the OC hire, but I am willing to give both a little time. No matter what, we need to rehab the defense, dump some people, and get better on the O line. So buh-bye to Ray Edwards, Dunta Don’t Wanna, and Sam Baker, for starters. I also have a feeling that the Beer Man will have a new address this coming Fall. No great loss there, either.
big dogg
January 18th, 2012
2:20 am
CAN WE PLEASE TRADE MATT RYAN
roger
January 18th, 2012
2:26 am
Who’s the idiot that said trade Ryan…what a goof
roger
January 18th, 2012
2:31 am
Now if we could just fix the the TATF board I would be happy.
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Rico
January 18th, 2012
3:07 am
our hires are not of sound judgement…next year we will make the playoffs and get blown out again…story of the losers since 1966…Dan Reeves was our best coach ever…and I never thought I would say that
Rico
January 18th, 2012
3:14 am
To the atlanta falcons “players”(no caps for you guys), no more “rise up”(coz you haven’t), step up or step the heck out…
The Next Great GM
January 18th, 2012
3:16 am
Relax Falcon fans we have hired a absolute legend in mike nolan its goin to be really interesting to see how he develops corey peters and da d line!!! the secondary should have an imediate impact as well. Great fit , Great hire, now we have to just add a few pieces so that his coaching expertise can take into effect!!! MARK MY WORDS FALCONS WILL FINISH IN THE TOP TEN DEFENSE IN THE NFL NEXT YEAR AND FINALLY WIN A PLAYOFF GAME!!!! You heard it first from the man who literally studies football!!!!
The Next Great GM
January 18th, 2012
3:23 am
Falcon fans should be angry with the offensive coordinator we chose !!!! We needed a guy who not only was going to open up the playbook but spread the ball around with alot of these weapons we have on offense much like the saints!! For that bum to say he is going to keep the old offense and add a screen game is the absolute most piss poor sorry excuse for a gameplan in the history of football!!!!!!! If that is the falcons gameplan then next year come playoff time the only improvement will be a fieldgoal on offense instead of a shutout!!!!The falcons coulda hired me as the offensive coordinator if the were going to take the cheap give a guy a shot route.!!! POOR HIRE ARTHUR BLANK I PREDICTE NO IMPROVEMENT ON OFFENSE INSTEAD WE GOT A GUY WHO WILL DO THE SAMETHING ONLY LOOK BETTER CUZ MIKE ALREADY BUILT THE SYSTEM!!!!!
dagnabit
January 18th, 2012
4:12 am
Nolan’s boys will get the ball back a little sooner and a little more often.
RedandBlack Peachy
January 18th, 2012
5:49 am
@ Gritsfalcons–how is a 3-4 a college defense when colleges run 4-3’s? It is why it is difficult to draft for those defenses and teams who run it have to draft on potential and talent as opposed to proven guys. There aren’t a lot of guys that come out of college with the girth that is normally coveted for the 3-4 defense.
Morning Reads for Wednesday, January 18th — Peach Pundit
January 18th, 2012
6:13 am
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