Falcons get it right hiring Mike Nolan to coach defense
Mike Nolan was given his first defensive coordinator's job by then-New York Giants coach Dan Reeves in 1993. (AP photo)
If Dirk Koetter was the Falcons’ offseason hire that raised eyebrows, Mike Nolan is the one that should allay fears.
The Falcons hired Nolan as their defensive coordinator on Tuesday. Rest easy. Nolan, whose Miami Dolphins allowed the sixth fewest points in the NFL this season, has been viewed as one of the game’s premier defensive coordinators, going back to when then-New York Giants coach Dan Reeves hired him in 1993 at the age of only 34.
If Nolan can’t fix some of the team’s problems, it will be because of the team’s personnel issues, not because of a poor scheme or a lack of direction.
Nolan is known for having strong third-down defenses — Miami ranked seventh this season at 34 percent, the Falcons only 29th at 44 percent — and for creativity in terms of how he uses players on the defensive line.
This season as Miami’s coordinator, the Dolphins’ finished 15th in total defense but sixth overall in points allowed (19.6 per game). In 2010, Nolan’s first season in Miami, the Dolphins ranked in the top 10 in overall, pass and run defense for only the eighth time in franchise history.
Steve Spagnuolo, the recent St. Louis Rams head coach and former New York Giants defensive coordinator, was probably the only hire that the Falcons could have made that would’ve been perceived as more of a grand slam. But Spagnuolo is weighing several offers and is known to be deliberate in his decision-making process. It would be understandable if the Falcons just wanted to put the matter to rest, rather than risk not getting either Nolan or Spagnuolo.
The Falcons needed a new result in the postseason. That meant they needed a new plan. Short of changing the head coach or the quarterback, they’ve changed as much as you could realistically expect. Gone are the offensive coordinator (Mike Mularkey), the defensive coordinator (Brian VanGorder), the quarterbacks coach (Bob Bratkowski) and the offensive line coach (Paul Boudreau, who was fired Tuesday).
Nolan’s first head coaching job with San Francisco did not go well (18-37). But he has never struggled to get a job on the defensive side of the ball. He has worked in in Denver, New York, Washington and Baltimore, where he overlapped with Falcons coach Mike Smith.
This decision, there’s no reason to question: The Falcons got it right.
By Jeff Schultz
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141 comments Add your comment
Supes
January 17th, 2012
5:50 pm
Excellent hire, dare say the Falcons needed a strong PR move like this after the questionable hire of Koetter.
Nolan will bring a better scheme, toughness and respect to our defensive unit.
For those fearing that we don’t have the personnel to run a 3-4 in place, They’ve announced that the team concept will remain a 4-3 defense.
Glad to welcome coach Nolan on board!
JB
January 17th, 2012
5:51 pm
HUM…..football teams don’t produce or live up to their potential……and they fire coach’s….What a novel idea………………………………………………………………………………..Mr McGarity.
Stinger2
January 17th, 2012
5:54 pm
Jeff: You are now one for vs. one against in the Falcons
DC vs. OC coordinators. Playing .500 is not bad, just medicore.
Steve-O
January 17th, 2012
6:08 pm
JSS – I Know It All And Want To Tell You About It
Well, I know you love hearing yourself talk/type, and look down you nose at the rest of us, but contrary to your opinion, the Falcons have NOT been as injured as you have made yourself believe. In 2008 they were 16th, 2009 15th, 2010 they were an incredible 3rd (32nd being the worst and 1st being the best) in the number of games lost by starters for the season. Fish has been here for 4 years now, so how exactly are injuries an epidemic under Fish?
freddy
January 17th, 2012
6:22 pm
Great hire. Was my 1st choice and Spago was 2nd. I also like the “cutter” hire..now get’er done.
M10
January 17th, 2012
6:43 pm
The Falcons should go get R.Mathis and C.Finnegan in FA.Cut Edwards and Dunta and resign Grimes,Abraham and Lofton if they can that would be a great start for the defense.
Lamar
January 17th, 2012
6:58 pm
IF he is a good DC, THEN YOU WANT SEE DUNTA ROBINSON AT CB!! THIS GUY IS TERRIBLE< NO< PATHETIC COVER GUY!! FIRE HIS BUTT!!
Mr. SaintsFan Jr.
January 17th, 2012
6:59 pm
Great hire Falcons, we will takeSpags.
JSS
January 17th, 2012
7:06 pm
2010 was a perfect storm excluding guess who (Moore and Weatherspoon)… Guess how many games they missed genius? Turner has been fighting groin injuries since 2009. Has the great Jeff Fish found a suitable therapy regime yet? I won’t get into the whole Ryan turf-toe fiasco that they scapegoated Rod Medlin on… Oh yeah, go back and see how many games Dahl missed in 09? Oh yeah, you were down to your 3rd string LBs, CBs, and 2nd string FS and SS… And Steve-O, next time when you look at games missed, work at looking at (and seeing) more than just the core numbers and look at games lost by starters. Not concussion protocol, not catastrophic injuries, but injuries that should been handled by a good therapy and prevention regime and a quality staff… Not the staff that was the core of the infamous Cleveland steph infection outbreak! And you still have not gotten any stronger in your lines since Fish has been here, spin-spin-spin (oh, that is just the Falcons lines getting pushed around)!
Steve-O
January 17th, 2012
7:16 pm
Well JSS, the stats I found WERE specifically games missed by starters. So glad your profession and education is clearly in sports medicine/therapy/conditioning. Why aren’t you working in the NFL somewhere, since CLEARLY Fish and about 16 other men in his same capacity with other teams just suck are their jobs and you can clearly do better. Last time I checked, groins and hammies are the most difficult injury to overcome in the NFL. So sorry the Falcons staff and players couldn’t meet YOUR expectations for healing and recovery times.
Jim
January 17th, 2012
7:16 pm
I’ve moved to the when “I see it, I’ll believe it ” crowd when it comes to the Falcons…they don’t deserve any praise until we see results. The right coach, the right player here and there…haven’t we been hearing this for a while now? The want us to watch them and buy tickets and will put the corporate “tomorrow will be great” spin on us every time.
Greg
January 17th, 2012
7:32 pm
Jeff, you write: “If Nolan can’t fix some of the team’s problems, it will be because of the team’s personnel issues….” Yes, it certainly will. And you have put your finger on the problem, which is not the coaching. I think BvG did an outstanding job with what he had to work with. Readers, ask yourself what YOU would do with a $56 million corner who couldn’t cover OR tackle. With stiff and relatively slow S’s. With a high-rent DE who didn’t give you the pass rush he was hired for. How about the partial bust of Peria Jerry? I love Biermann’s motor and Abraham’s motor (when he’s healthy), but did you see the good OTs handle them this year (just run the Green Bay tape)? They could do nothing. They, being light-weights, were batted aside like fleas. Christopher Owens? Need I say more? We need a huge personnel shift in favor of actual above-average NFL talent. Are we going to get it? I doubt it. We are soundly out-personnel-ed by the good teams. Repeat that three times. Arthur, are you listening????
ijonathan
January 17th, 2012
7:35 pm
JSS
January 17th, 2012
5:39 pm
Lou, Lofton is a free agent… Until he’s signed, I don’t count him… And Willis and Ray were game changers without ever having NFL coaching, they didn’t need to be coached up to reach their potential, self motivators from day one… People in Atlanta have the hardest time understanding that fact than any other fan base in the NFL… Most of your so-called “great defensive potential” are UFAs (Grimes, Lofton, Abe, Bierman) or people you generally can’t count on (DeCoud-somebody please make him a good offer)…
Mike Nolan was seeing jobs fall left and right and was in limbo in Miami… I don’t blame him for taking Atlanta’s offer…
===
According to JSS, the Falcons aren’t going to re-sign any of their free agents, and for those that they don’t re-sign, they won’t find any replacements. Apparently the Falcons will break camp with about 8 players on defense. Do I have that right JeniuSS?
JSS
January 17th, 2012
7:36 pm
Because Fish is neither an certified athletic trainer or certified in athletic rehabilitation… He’s a glorified weight lighting coach, and he’s not very good at that… CSCS and CSCCA certifications are a joke…
When you put so much pomp and circumstance about your injury screening process, but inevitability you keep getting the same results… You are doing something incredibly wrong… Fish and Lauzon are disasters…
ijonathan
January 17th, 2012
7:38 pm
JSS, can you please reference the peer-reviewed academic study that correlates trainer credentials with injuries (or lack thereof) in the NFL…or other sports for that matter. Should I wait now for the reference, or check back tomorrow? Thanks.
phil
January 17th, 2012
7:41 pm
Hummon
January 17th, 2012
4:28 pm
“This decision, there’s no reason to question: The Falcons got it right.”
Ummm . . . we’ll see. Same with Koetter.
******
amen. Nolan was a horrid head coach. I want results. Not talk.
phil
January 17th, 2012
7:49 pm
Jim
January 17th, 2012
7:16 pm
I’ve moved to the when “I see it, I’ll believe it ” crowd when it comes to the Falcons…they don’t deserve any praise until we see results. The right coach, the right player here and there…haven’t we been hearing this for a while now? The want us to watch them and buy tickets and will put the corporate “tomorrow will be great” spin on us every time.
******
AMEN! Exactly.
phil
January 17th, 2012
7:52 pm
Until we actually do something other than collapse against good teams, i’m all for some good, wholesome bashing!!
Fire Mike Smith for hiring an OC worse than what we just got rid of! What an idiot!
JSS
January 17th, 2012
7:54 pm
@ Clownish (Ijonathan)…
Grimes has a knee injury, are you going to invest in resigning him? And his salary will triple by the way… Abraham is old, and there are team with way more depth where he can be saved for the post-season like a Fred Dean or Charles Haley. If he is resigned, i expect no hometown discount. He should weigh his options! Lofton will have suitors, ask Arizona or Pittsburgh what happens when you wait to try to resign your own players on the open market? This is not the NBA where you get a bit of protection to retain UFAs. I’m no fan of DeCoud, he needs to be on a team with a strong safety who has great coverage skills so when he bites, the over-the-top throw is covered. The rest of team is about depth and they have never had quality depth except at outside linebacker. But even that is in question with the injury to Nicholas, and the fact that Peterson (another old UFA)… You have no draft picks to get high end quality, and must address your lines… Dude, there is only so much money under the cap… And make some more Robinson and Edwards like mistakes and see where that gets you!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
January 17th, 2012
7:55 pm
Mike Vick won with both head coaches
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
January 17th, 2012
7:59 pm
I guess we can kill the defense excuses for CHOKE next failure
ijonathan
January 17th, 2012
8:10 pm
JSS
January 17th, 2012
7:54 pm
@ Clownish (Ijonathan)…
Grimes has a knee injury, are you going to invest in resigning him? And his salary will triple by the way… Abraham is old, and there are team with way more depth where he can be saved for the post-season like a Fred Dean or Charles Haley. If he is resigned, i expect no hometown discount. He should weigh his options! Lofton will have suitors, ask Arizona or Pittsburgh what happens when you wait to try to resign your own players on the open market? This is not the NBA where you get a bit of protection to retain UFAs. I’m no fan of DeCoud, he needs to be on a team with a strong safety who has great coverage skills so when he bites, the over-the-top throw is covered. The rest of team is about depth and they have never had quality depth except at outside linebacker. But even that is in question with the injury to Nicholas, and the fact that Peterson (another old UFA)… You have no draft picks to get high end quality, and must address your lines… Dude, there is only so much money under the cap… And make some more Robinson and Edwards like mistakes and see where that gets you!
===
Thanks for making my point, clown. You are so easy. The sky is falling. The Falcons won’t be able to field a defensive unit next year. They will lose all of their “good” defenders and only sign crappy ones/busts. We will be last in the league in yards and points against. Attendance will drop to 20,000 per game. All home games will be blacked out and Blank will sell the team…in bankruptcy court.
How am I doing so far?
DC Dirty Bird
January 17th, 2012
8:22 pm
Mike Nolan is a good DC. He will get the most out of our D next year. Not concerned with resigning Grimes or Abraham. They will come back. Hopefully Nolan can get us in some man coverage and get more out of Edwards.
John
January 17th, 2012
8:31 pm
Welcome Coach Nolan……..
William Andrews would've gotten the 1 yard
January 17th, 2012
8:36 pm
I felt good about the hire until I saw that Schultzie AND Bradley approve of it wholeheartedly…
now I figure the Birds must’ve blown it.
JSS
January 17th, 2012
8:37 pm
The NFL PFATS has specific group of requirements. Out of the 8 employees in the athletic performance section of the Falcons, 3 of them meet the requirements (Corey Gildea is in their 1st year), so before that they only had 2 certified trainers on staff…
Here’s the best sports medicine training program in America where my best friend Monroe Abram got his Masters in Training and Exercise Physiology (2 time Tennessee athletic trainer of the year and on the District 9 Oversight Committee for National Athletic Trainers Association)…
http://www.spfldcol.edu/homepage/dept.nsf/04e52ae2be212e4245256bd80029d783/cd641e778f4dcc1145256c5400130484
JSS
January 17th, 2012
8:40 pm
And read about a “real” person who has a medical and clinical background… And who is certified to rehab injuries, condition, and treat traumas not just “windbag about it like Fish does…
http://www.training-conditioning.com/2007/03/10/winner_monroe_abram/index.php
P B Orr
January 17th, 2012
8:43 pm
It’s clear the Falcons want to be a hard nosed football team, able to push people around and control the line of scrimmage. They are – rightly I think – eschewing the circus offenses of New Orleans and Green Bay for the steadiness and post-season possibilities offered by tough defense and ball control offense. I’m for it.
GTJeff
January 17th, 2012
8:53 pm
I can breath a sigh of relief. First was shocked with Koetter but am starting to warm up. VERY excited about Nolan!
Iowahorse
January 17th, 2012
8:58 pm
Gotta say I’m happy to have Nolan on board. Good Hire.
cmc
January 17th, 2012
9:42 pm
Get him the players Mr. Blank and Mr. Dimitroff and I have confidence that Jeff you and the Falcons got this right! Feel good about this and actually glad they fired the offensive line coach = the line was awful this year and he needed to go
panic fan
January 17th, 2012
9:42 pm
JSS JUST-SOME-SAINT : Glad to see falcons step up to take mike nolan,he will bring what we need here in ATL better overall defensive schemes.
We have a chance to take a good talented bunch of guys and make them GREAT.To think about next years team no one has any idea what smitty and nolan will run as a defense, thoughts of mixed 3-4 to 4-3 with blitz packages
and line stunts, mix and match to players strength.So no 1 knows who will be our starters and what that will bring, out with the old in with the new i am excited about this NEW DEFENSIVE CORDINATOR
Steve-O
January 17th, 2012
9:49 pm
Angry, angry JSS…never a kind word about this team, ever. This article is interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/26/sports/football/falcons-have-winning-fitness-strategy.html
big t
January 17th, 2012
9:53 pm
hey you guys the differance in the teams in the play offs an the teams that are not is good coaching ……there were grumlings coming from flowery branch the coaches were to conserveative in big games i agree.anything is a up grade as far as im concerned
JSS
January 17th, 2012
10:00 pm
And the season tells us what? The “winning strategy” is not “winning games.” If he wants core strength, they could have full core strategies that most athletic based programs went to years ago… Th-at is not new or novel, by the way, they still have an injury issues… So empirically, it is “not working” on three levels. They are still losing the battle in the trenches, they still have a problem with a core group of injuries, and finally the Falcons are rarely t]he team dictating the pace of the game at the end… Just ask the NY Giants D and O-Lines, a little more MMA just didn’t get it done I guess?
JSS
January 17th, 2012
10:04 pm
@ Panic fan…
There are Saints fan all across the blog-o-sphere laughing at that caption…
Dude, get real!
JSS
January 17th, 2012
10:32 pm
I guess, the “unique” cross-training pulled Wire up to a whole new level, he’s unemployed again!!!
S Freud
January 17th, 2012
11:40 pm
Why do you bristle so much at being called a troll? Can you not understand why people would think that?
Post after bitter and angry post, you display utter hatred for every aspect of the Atlanta Falcons. Yet, you never mention the team you are a fan of…but I digress.
Such hostility. Were you bullied as a youth by someone wearing Jamal Anderson or Chris Chandler jersy? You know, the psychiatric profession now recognizes victims of bullying as having severe disabilities that prevent them from functioning normally in society. I think you have much pent-up anger, you should take up MMA. Perhaps having this outlet will let you overcome your bitterness and let you return to being a fan of whatever team it is you do support.
S Freud
January 17th, 2012
11:40 pm
oh! And congratulations on learning how to use Google.
JSS
January 17th, 2012
11:42 pm
“I digress!”
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!
S Freud
January 17th, 2012
11:47 pm
You know using more that one exclamation mark and repeated use of LOL and LMAO and
are another symptom of your anger management issues.
JSS
January 17th, 2012
11:57 pm
And LOL and LMAO appear where?
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!
You’re better than Sleepy Time Tea!!!
JSS
January 18th, 2012
12:03 am
Did you lack the ability to repress your desire to have an affair with your wife’s younger sister like Freud? Or are you so much of a false acolyte that you are hitting his sloppy seconds like Jung?
dawgforlife
January 18th, 2012
12:13 am
trying to figure out why JSS’ trainer friend hasn’t been scooped up by one of the 32 teams? not sure if your a Saint fan…but, you sure aren’t a Falcon fan…a plethera of posts and not one positive word…reminds me of the little guy riding down the road while its only raining on his car.
JSS
January 18th, 2012
12:31 am
Because he is tenured and has wife and 5 kids and has a great job that he loves… He’s not trying to be an NFL trainer… He’s mentoring, training the new generation, like one of his students who is the Head Athletic Trainer for the 76ers Kevin Jonson.
Funny that you mention it, but 20 NFL players sought him out over the lockout to get them ready for the season… And he’ll be headed to London this summer to get the Olympic training staff prepared for the games…
And Dawgforlife, he did his undergrad at UGA, too bad you only a second rate sports medicine program in those days… That is why he went to Springfield College and got his Masters… Most likely that kept him from being a another failed UGA grad!
JSS
January 18th, 2012
1:02 am
Oh yeah, sun+rain = rainbows!!! Double rainbows and none of them for them for Pollyanna version of Falcons fans!!!
Falcon fan in LA
January 18th, 2012
2:56 am
Why is William Moore a bust? He puts hard hits on everyone he can. Not a great coverage guy but with a DC who knows how to use him he could be deadly. P.Jerry has shown nothing worth keeping I will agree but how do you not like the Chuck Cecil like hits Willy Mo can put on people? Those are the things that make slot receivers drop balls.
clay
January 18th, 2012
4:16 am
The problem is, if he changes to a 3-4. We will not see any huge gain, because it takes time to get in the right personnel and to learn the system. This isn’t going to happen over night. Were going to have struggles with it next year. So no one needs to over react. Smith and TD will be here, but it’s going to probably be year 2 with all the new changes the falcons are about to make before we see progress.
dagnabit
January 18th, 2012
4:32 am
CTFalconfan: NO.
AllGood 4 Now
January 18th, 2012
6:10 am
it took me a month but i got an App to block all of chokes comments so i no longer have to see that idiot.. BTW Awesome hire