Atlanta Falcons hire Kevin Stefanski as head coach: “I’m beyond thrilled to be charged with leading this iconic franchise”

The Atlanta Falcons have taken a definitive step toward reshaping their future by naming Kevin Stefanski as the franchise’s new head coach, the team announced this weekend. Stefanski, 43, steps into the role as the 20th head coach in Falcons history, replacing Raheem Morris after a couple of seasons that fell short of expectations.

Stefanski arrives in Atlanta with a mixed but noteworthy track record. He spent the past six seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, where he earned recognition twice as the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year. In 2020, he led the Browns to their first playoff appearance in nearly two decades and recorded their first postseason win since the mid‑1990s.

He repeated that success in 2023, earning another Coach of the Year nod after guiding Cleveland to a winning season.

In a statement, team president of football, Matt Ryan, said that “we’re thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness and active collaboration with every area of the football operation.”

“Coach Stefanski is a team-first leader who puts a premium on accountability for everyone and a player-driven culture. His experience in Cleveland and Minnesota has given him a great understanding of the importance of working in sync with scouting, personnel and the rest of the football staff to maximize talent across the roster and in doing everything possible to put our players in the best position to succeed. Kevin’s style of leadership, combined with the staff and infrastructure in place here in Atlanta, gives us confidence in our shared vision for the team and we are excited to have him as the leader of our football team.”

Despite the aforementioned highs, Stefanski’s final two years in Cleveland were difficult. The Browns struggled, culminating in disappointing records that ultimately led to his departure.

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“I’m beyond thrilled to be charged with leading this iconic franchise,” Stefanski himself said. “I am grateful to Mr. Blank and Matt Ryan for trusting me to coach this football team and there are many talented players on our roster that I cannot wait to coach. We share a vision for this football team that I believe will make Falcons fans everywhere proud. We will get to work immediately putting together a first-class coaching staff and working hard to get to know all the great people that are so important to getting us all where we want to go.”

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