UPDATE: Dirk Koetter is staying with the Falcons
Mike Nolan, Mike Smith and Dirk Koetter (Curtis Compton/CCompton@ajc.com)
UPDATE: Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter has withdrawn his name for consideration for any head coaching vacancies, the team confirmed on Wednesday.
Koetter has signed a contract extension that runs through 2014, according to a Fox Sports report.
Koetter infused new life in the Falcons offense, scrapping the power-run attack for a more pass-friendly attack.
The Falcons finished with two 1,000-yard receivers in Roddy White and Julio Jones, as quarterback Matt Ryan put up several career-highs.
White finished the season with 92 receptions for 1,351 yards and seven touchdowns. He has posted 1,300-plus yards in two of the last three seasons. Jones, who as selected to his first Pro Bowl, finished with 79 catches for 1,198 yards and a team-high 10 touchdown receptions.
Also, 13-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez caught a team-high 93 receptions for 930 yards with eight touchdowns. Gonzalez posted the best season by any tight end in Falcons history. His receptions and yardage total both set franchise records for the tight end position.
In Koetter’s offense, Gonzalez had his best season since 2008 in terms of catches, yards, and touchdowns.
The attack also allowed Ryan to flourish as a passer. Ryan finished the season completing 422 of 615 pass attempts (68.9 percent) for 4,719 yards with 32 touchdowns and a 99.1 passer rating. Ryan set franchise records for attempts, completions, completion percentage, yards, and touchdowns.
TUESDAY UPDATE: Jacksonville has interviewed Atlanta’s director or player personnel David Caldwell for their vacant general manager’s post, according to a Fox Sports report.
Coordinators Mike Nolan, Dirk Koetter and Keith Armstrong are set to interview with the Eagles here in Atlanta on Wednesday according to 6ABC (WPVI-TV) in Philadelphia.
ORIGNAL POST: With the Falcons recent success, teams have raided the coaching staff and front offices when trying to get things turned arounnd.
After the 2010 season, Minnesota hired Bill Musgrave away as their offensive coordinator. He was Matt Ryan’s first NFL quarterback coach and is widely credited with his quick development.
Last season, the Rams hired Les Snead away to become their general manager and Jacksonville hired Mike Mularkey and Bob Bratkowski. Mularkey went to Jacksonville as the head coach and Bratkowski, Musgrave’s successor, went as the offensive coordinator.
According to several media reports, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is set to interview for heading coaching vacancies in Kansas City, Philadelphia and Cleveland.
Special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong is set to interview for the heading coaching positions with Kansas City and Chicago.
Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who was previously a head coach, will most certainly attract some attention with 20 percent of the league’s head coaching spots coming open on Black Monday.
“Per league rules, this is the window for teams that have a bye week where assistant coaches can interview,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “I will say this, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to comment on any other team’s head coaching search. I feel like that we’ve got a number of guys on our staff that would be outstanding head coaches and per league rules if someone called and asked permission we would grant it because we’d have to.”
Also, David Caldwell, the team’s director of player personnel, is considered a candidate for several of the league open general manager positions.
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87 comments Add your comment
bulldogmaniac
January 2nd, 2013
8:50 am
To all of you “SO CALLED” fans talking about replacing coach Smith…………Get real or go root for another team!
Look at his record since he has been here…compare that record with ANY other coach in the NFL over that time span and then…tell me who is better???
Smitty has done nothing but improve our team from the time he took the job.
Getaway
January 2nd, 2013
9:04 am
bulldogmaniac – I hope Falcons’ fans show up for the game in two weeks and not these “so-called fans”. It’s pretty embarrassing to have the home crowd booing after one running play like they have been.
This team has been great when the crowd has been loud. We have to be loud even when things aren’t going good, but I just don’t get the impression that many “so called fans” really understand that.
Big Daddy
January 2nd, 2013
11:23 am
Lovie Smith will end up as the head coach for probably the Cardinals or the Bills. He has an 88-66 overall record and 10-6 record this year with the Bears. If you look at records of the other coaches out there, why would he not get picked up with 7 vacancies available? Smitty may promote someone or bring in a successful college coach to fill any vacancies by departing staff.
Wins is the name of the game and Lovie will get picked up the same way Dungy was picked up by Indianapolis when he left Tampa Bay.
Enough talk about others. The current coordinators better be working on a great game plan to keep their stock up if they want consideration around the league. If they win a playoff game(s) it will certify their ability to move a team to the next level. There are some teams, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Arizona and Chicago that would love having someone there to take there team to the next level. Dirk, Mike and Mike, coach them up and come up with a plan that says you have arrive and plan to stay. GO FALCONS!!!!
NHLPA reviewing league’s latest offer, facing disclaimer deadline – Washington Post (blog)
January 2nd, 2013
11:45 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
FalconUGAFan
January 2nd, 2013
11:49 am
Dirk staying…good to hear…Surprised at Lovie firing….dumb!
GregKennesaw
January 2nd, 2013
11:52 am
seriously any talk of firing smith is stupid
GregKennesaw
January 2nd, 2013
11:54 am
He’s the best head coach the falcons have ever had, and he would snatched up so fast by any of the 7 teams looking for a head coach
Samuel
January 2nd, 2013
12:04 pm
Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, even if these guys get interviewed doesn’t mean they have the job. In time we’ll know more.
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January 2nd, 2013
12:04 pm
[...] Dirk Koetter to stay with the Falcons [...]
Esquire
January 2nd, 2013
12:06 pm
GregKennesaw
January 2nd, 2013
11:54 am
He’s the best head coach the falcons have ever had, and he would snatched up so fast by any of the 7 teams looking for a head coach
***************************************************
………………..and in the unlikely event he was available there might be a team that wants to talk that still has a head coach………………….like Dallas.
Dirk is smart, he knows this is a class organization.
The Real Falcon
January 2nd, 2013
12:07 pm
Great news!
Kurtis
January 2nd, 2013
12:10 pm
Getaway…..if the home fans did in fact “boo” after one running play, I’d bet good money that it wasn’t after a Quizz carry or a Snelling carry. It was a running play that involved Turner and they did it only after watching him tip toe in to the backs of his linemen, run in place for a couple of seconds and then get tackled for either no gain or a loss on the play. And probably on a third and short play, which resulted in a 4th and little longer play, for about the thousandth time this season or so it seems. Those folks stood in line, paid their money and bought admission tickets, so it’s their right to express their dissatisfaction as long as their not too extreme or disruptive, which “booing” is not.
Decatur Falcons
January 2nd, 2013
12:36 pm
I hope we keep Mike Nolan, he is one safety, middle linebacker, and defense end away from getting the Atlanta Falcons the respect they deserve on defense. If I was Mike Nolan I will wait for the Detroit Lion coaching position to open. The coach of the Detriot Lion don’t know how to coach a talented team, bring in a good running game and you see them in the playoffs ever year. The Coaching jobs that are available are too hard, that is why Dirk got a extension with the Atlanta Falcons. Chicago Bears have pig headed quarterback that needs to be a backup quarterback in Jay Cutler. Kansas City don’t have a quarterback Brady Quinn is not good. San D. Chargers quarterback Rivers will not win a Super Bowl playing like he plays. Arizona Carolina needs to wait until Johnny Football comes out of Texas A&M because Kolb at quarterback will not get you to the Super Bowl. Browns don’t have the strength and division there in is too hard. Bills have a hard division as well, you don’t want to Coach in a division were being out coach week in and out. If Mike Nolan is smart, I will wait for that Detriot Lions job to open, you have a great defense with Suh, and need to build good linebackers and DB’s group around Suh so he can destroy. The other coaching jobs, you may not be able to out coach the other coaches that have great quarterback or defenses. It is hard to win in the NFL period. GO FALCONS!!!!
coleski
January 2nd, 2013
12:39 pm
Do you not allow possts that don’t rave about the Falcons? It sure looks that way, my comments have trouble getting on your website. Why?
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January 2nd, 2013
12:40 pm
[...] Dirk Koetter to stay with the Falcons [...]
warfalcon
January 2nd, 2013
12:41 pm
NO MORE BAD GAMES,LETS GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
falcons relax
January 2nd, 2013
1:12 pm
@ Roger Yeah your one of the falcon fans who are delusional and don’t know anything about football that I was referring to. When did I ever compare Smitty to Cowher????? All I said was state the reminder of a HOF Coach LOSING A SUPERBOWL BEFORE HE WON IT, which in hindsight means theres no reason in even coming close to thinking about firing smitty, the best HC in falcons franchise history. What if smitty got us to the SB and lost??? What would you say??? You want to fire him now. So I can only imagine how you would feel.
The point is that CONSISTENCY is what is most important. We’re finally on the right track. “How many coaches lost several years and DIDINT go to/win a superbowl?” Plenty of coaches have had that happened to them. BUT SMITTY HAS ONLY BEEN HERE 5 SEASONS DUH!!! Thats the point. Its too early to even considered that. So now whos really speaking an invalid point. You didn’t even make sense with your rebuttal about dungy.
Tony Dungy and the Colts lost 40-0 to an underdog jets team IN THE PLAYOFFS. Did Dungy get fired? Smitty is a top 10 HC in this league PERIOD. You don’t know football and theres a reason hes still our HC and why Blank has said repeatedly that SMitty isn’t on the hotseat. But hes on the hotseat if your the owner. LOL! Glad your not the owner then. lol!
How do you diss Smitty but then say you like him??? Your a walking contradiction man.
Getaway
January 2nd, 2013
1:44 pm
Kurtis, I heard it on the very first offensive play of the Arizona game. The booing started with a few at first, but when he got stuffed on a play in the second possession it was a significantly large number. You have the home crowd booing the undefeated home team, while the offense is on the field, because a running back got stuffed.
Turner has always been a slow starter, but usually gets in a rhythm and makes up for it, unfortunately for him, this offense isn’t set up to give him that kind of time.
But you’re right, they’ve paid their money, they’re entitled to boo if they want. I just hope that the fans that show up in the playoffs are more inclined to yell FOR the Falcons instead of against them.
Star Wars
January 2nd, 2013
1:51 pm
I always like when we run coaches out of town.
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