Those lucky Falcons: Mike Mularkey goes to Jacksonville
Double M leaves! Touchdown! (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The Jacksonville Jaguars, for reasons unclear, have hired Mike Mularkey as head coach. That means the Atlanta Falcons lucked out. They’ve been spared having to fire him as offensive coordinator.
The belief here was that Double M, as he’s known, wasn’t going to be retained, but that’s not to say the decision would have been painless. The Falcons won a lot of (regular-season) games with Mularkey overseeing the offense, and it’s never easy to break a winning pattern even if you know the pattern needs breaking.
Moot point now, though. Mularkey is gone, same as defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. The Falcons have two key hires to make this offseason, and the offensive position is surely the more important. In the end, offensive failings undid this talented aggregation. The Falcons need to find a man who could make these glittering pieces more of a whole.
Mike Martz is a name that keeps surfacing, but I might look first to Rick Neuheisel, who was just fired as UCLA’s head coach but who’s an offensive man by trade and who worked as coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. That’s just a first look, though. There are a handful of good men out there whose addition would constitute an upgrade.
The Falcons, I say again, lucked out. A staleness had come over this coaching staff. That’s inevitable after four years together, and now the team gets to change on both offense and defense without having to fire anybody. Auburn and Jacksonville came calling at the right time, Jacksonville especially. Time now for Smitty and Thomas Dimitroff to make the most of this opportunity. Time to hire even better coordinators.
By Mark Bradley
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465 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
January 11th, 2012
7:36 am
How exactly is this a PR move? Did the Falcons make the Jaguars hire Mularkey?
dawgdip
January 11th, 2012
7:37 am
I think Mike Bobo would be an excellent hire for the Falcons. The offensive linemen would not have to learn a new NON-blocking system.
Tremaine
January 11th, 2012
7:38 am
Todd Haley would be a nice pick for OC.
FalconDawg
January 11th, 2012
7:41 am
Falcons4Eva, did you really mean “screwed” or shrewd”?
jeff Green
January 11th, 2012
7:42 am
hip-hop hooray!
Dominic Hughes
January 11th, 2012
7:43 am
Hue Jackson didn’t have much to work with here before. He got the horror season under Petrino working with back-up QBs after Vick imploded. Can’t hold that against him. Thought he did pretty well with some mediocre talent at Raiders. Imagine he could do wonders with the talent on the Falcons’ roster.
FalconDawg
January 11th, 2012
7:44 am
Hope Falcons hire Mike Bobo from Georgia. Then the Dawgs will have a better chance making it to the BCS Championship than the Falcons do making it to the Super Bowl.
jimmya
January 11th, 2012
7:45 am
2 years to late
Getaway
January 11th, 2012
7:45 am
I do wonder how different MM’s offensive play calling would have been if we had a great line and didn’t need to be in max protect all the time.
Kicks_Coach
January 11th, 2012
7:45 am
I’ll throw a name out for DC that hasn’t been mentioned, Del Rio. He and Smith already have a working relationship and he would definitely bring an aggressive defensive philosophy to the table. Those wanting Spags, I’ve read on both ESPN.com and CNNsi.com that he’s probably ending up back in Philly working for Reid where he was just a few years ago. I like the mention of Singletary, think he would be a good DC as well.
As for OC I don’t really have a name. Again have read in several places that Billick is really beginning to enjoy life in the broadcast booth and it might be only a HC position that gets him to leave it. As for Jackson, I want to part of that pompous horse’s ***. The way he acted behind Cable’s back and then the way he carried himself as HC in Oakland, no thank you.
RUDEDAWG
January 11th, 2012
7:48 am
Lol,@FRONTMAN No need for name calling,cause we both know you would’t talk to me face to face like that. My point is he’s an liabilty, cant run support gets pushed around alot. The only reason he made the”PRO BOWL” was because he was the “MOST” targeted corner in the league that year,so sooner or later he’d get a bad pass thrown his way! Hliarious
Ed
January 11th, 2012
7:48 am
Tom Clements QB coach in Green Bay would be a good choice for OC. As for DC I think they go with Del Rio.
Stepchild
January 11th, 2012
7:49 am
Falcons haven’t made any changes…..The NFL/College football marketplace is dictating to the Falcons. Both MM and BVG left for other opportunities. I feel like i’m in a car going downhill with no brakes.
And if we don’t start interviewing candidates we will be picking from the trash heap to find a OC & DC.
Dominic Hughes
January 11th, 2012
7:49 am
Could Del Rio work under Smitty having previously been the big kahuna? Maybe. If we can’t get Spags I’d like a shot at Mel Tucker.
David
January 11th, 2012
7:50 am
Just say no to Mike Martz.
Conspiracy theorists
January 11th, 2012
7:52 am
This smells of Mike Smiths style. If you have to fire a friend or family. You get them a job at your last employ. Where you have an lasting relationship. The big question is of the replacements. How about some aggressive coordinators. Some unmike smiths
StungByAYellowJacket
January 11th, 2012
7:54 am
With the exception of Gregg Knapp, I believe any West Coast Offensive Scheme would benefit Ryan very well…. I really was hoping that Norv Turner would have been available…but than he was signed back to the Chargers… (sigh…) I have officially jumped on the Mike Martz bandwagon, I don’t believe he is a true west coast offensive style coordinator but he might be as close as there is (off the top of my head) at the moment. Defensively, I kind of like Raheem Morris, he is a young, energetic coach who will bring some fire and confidence to that horrid (at times) Defense.
Stepchild
January 11th, 2012
7:54 am
Problem with throwing names about is that it really depends on the type of system the coach plans on running/implementing. Will that system fit our players or does it mean roster overhaul…(i.e. 4-3, or 3-4 defense)?? If it means roster overhaul….where will we get players from…Not the draft, JJ. So we will be trolling for free-agents, over-paying players of marginal talent….just to fit a system. This hiring process needs to be done quickly & has to be well thought out. It could set us back 2 years.
Mark Bradley
January 11th, 2012
7:54 am
Yeah, that’s what happened. Mike Smith went to the Jaguars and said, “I need a new offensive coordinator. How about making the one I have your head coach?”
Hire Al Groh
January 11th, 2012
7:55 am
With my ground breaking 1970’s D the Falcons can’t go wrong!!
Godfather
January 11th, 2012
7:55 am
I would make New Orleans an offer for Sean Payton they couldn’t refuse.
Mark Bradley
January 11th, 2012
7:57 am
This isn’t college basketball, Godfather. Coaches can’t just leave because somebody waves more money.
Dozer
January 11th, 2012
7:57 am
Give us Barrabbas!
Stepchild
January 11th, 2012
7:57 am
Funny that Mike Martz continues to come up in these blogs. Once again that would mean personnel changes. In Chicago, Mike got rid of their talented TE…..because in his system he really doesn’t use them. So…tell me how he would work with Tony Gonzalez? It’s going to be interesting to watch.
Aren’t you tired of MM as OC….now you want another MM….LOL.
Atlanta Native
January 11th, 2012
8:00 am
I wouldn’t hire anyone with past ties to MS or the Falcons.
AB / TD needs to “mentor” MS into breaking the conservative mold he’s cursed with having.
Godfather
January 11th, 2012
8:00 am
I was thinking of a horse’s head on a pillow.
Robert
January 11th, 2012
8:01 am
Where’s Ralph Friedgen these days? He’s ran a pretty creative offense when he was at Tech.
Shug
January 11th, 2012
8:02 am
Be wary of what you wished for. I say it’s more likely that the coaching changes will lead the Falcons back into the wilderness than to the promised land.
Orlando Dawg.
January 11th, 2012
8:03 am
Spagnuolo most likely to the Eagles.With that said Del Rio,Singletary should take a look at too.
Mike Nolan could be a canidate for dc as well.Herd Miami wants to try to keep him.
Robert
January 11th, 2012
8:05 am
Where’s Ralph Friedgen these days? He’s a good quarterbacks coach, ran a pretty creative offense at Tech, and has NFL experience.
It ain't rocket science...
January 11th, 2012
8:07 am
…whoda thunk that the Falcons, with our offense, would be shut down by Texa AND the NY Football Giants, while an offense coached by Greg Knapp, using a 3rd string qwuarterback no less, would win their first round playoff game…whoever said life is not fair was absolutely correct…
Kramer
January 11th, 2012
8:09 am
My goodness, it is sad to see that there are as many uneducated Falcon fans onhere as there are when the news is about UGA. Both assistnats leaving is a blessing and makes the decision making easy. I still trust TD and Blank to make the right hires and get this team to the next level.
Orlando Dawg.
January 11th, 2012
8:10 am
Mike Nolan should be a canidate for DC too.
aol.com
January 11th, 2012
8:11 am
The word out of Alabama is that Smart will be interviewing for the Falcon job as early as next week. Saban wants Smart to wait until after recruiting is over . Stay tuned
PapaDawg
January 11th, 2012
8:11 am
GREAT! He can take his lot of Mularkley offense with him. We need someone with a playbook that has more than two pages.
RJ
January 11th, 2012
8:11 am
Mike Nolan should get a interview for the DC job.
jesse jackson
January 11th, 2012
8:13 am
The brothers are clamering for Hugh Jackson to be the OC.
Ho Hum!
January 11th, 2012
8:14 am
This just means that the Saints are 1 year closer to ending the tenure of another falcons coach! Ha!
rduck
January 11th, 2012
8:15 am
ever notice how thw anti-Ryan pro-Vick guys on these blogs seem to almost always use all CAPS?
elroy
January 11th, 2012
8:15 am
if only atlanta/georgia could get lucky & have bradley take another job in another state. & have the d-bags from 790 the zone leave too.
Kappa101
January 11th, 2012
8:17 am
Please stop suggesting these “good ole boy” retreads. There are plenty minority coaches that are capable of holding down these positions. And don’t give me the “experience” BS…you only get experience with a chance. Mel Tucker, Raheeem Morris, Mike Singletary, Darren Perry.
Tha Real Falcon
January 11th, 2012
8:18 am
Martz yes if we can stand his ego.
Neuheisel, under NO circumstances, We just got rid of a DC with mostly college experience.
Let’s not make that same mistake.
Yo Vince
January 11th, 2012
8:20 am
Happy Days are here again, the 1st down run up the middle and the 2 yard dump pass on 3 and 8 are gone. No more 2 blitz per game D. Thank the football Gods!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
fla dawg
January 11th, 2012
8:21 am
all you people who think that Smith will hire an OC who will come in and open up the offense are crazy and make no mistake about it, the final decision is up to Smith and not Dimitroff and absolutely not Blank.
Smith’s entire philosophy is run, run, pass and he will bring in a like minded OC.
GTT
January 11th, 2012
8:21 am
Yep. Lucky opportunity to upgrade on both sides of the ball.
Scott
January 11th, 2012
8:22 am
Turner is obsolete except against crap teams. Got all his yards in blowout wins against horrible teams. Now that the oc and dc are history, it’s time to get rid of dead weight including turner, dunta, edwards, half the o line and roddy.
Jesse Jackson
January 11th, 2012
8:25 am
Da govment should force the white man to hire minorities. Reparations! They had they foots on our neck fo 200 years.
Disappointed does not cut it!
January 11th, 2012
8:25 am
I hate to say it, but, I think the decision on a DC has been made and was made before the playoff game. Del Rio will be the pick. Just to vanilla, TD and Smitty, will not consider anyone else, the scheme matches Smitty’s. We will interview peeps, but Del Rio is their man…
AlanFalcon
January 11th, 2012
8:28 am
Think outside the box, look at some of the young and aggressive co-ordinators for the offensive and defensive positions, Mike has allowed the good old boys club exist for to long, now is our chance for a change.
Look at John Shoop @UNC, he developed Yates with the Texans and has prior NFL expierence at a younger age with the Bears.
St Simons - we're on Island time
January 11th, 2012
8:29 am
OC, DC, next should be the “talent scout” whoever the heck that is.
Billick- off, Spagnulo, Morris, or Mel Tucker, and we have a parade