Current:Home > StocksAtlanta Falcons fire coach Arthur Smith hours after season-ending loss to New Orleans Saints -WealthRoots Academy
Atlanta Falcons fire coach Arthur Smith hours after season-ending loss to New Orleans Saints
View
Date:2025-04-18 09:45:00
The Atlanta Falcons fired coach Arthur Smith just after midnight on Monday, just hours after the team was routed in the finale of its third consecutive losing season in as many years under Smith's watch.
Atlanta entered Sunday with a very narrow path to claim the NFC South title, but it was shut out of the postseason for the third year under Smith when it was dealt a 48-17 loss by the rival New Orleans Saints.
“Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. “We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years. He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations. After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position.”
Smith finishes his tenure with a career mark of 21-30.
Blank said that he and Falcons CEO Rich McKay would lead the search, with general manager Terry Fontenot also providing input.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
On Dec. 20, Blank said he was "committed" to Smith but wanted to see how the end of the season played out. The Falcons went on to lose two of their final three games after that point, with the team not having claimed a winning season since 2017.
Blank did not issue a playoff mandate before the season, but he said in August, “I expect us to win more games than we've won the last couple of years."
Quarterback play proved to be a particular problem for Smith throughout his run. After the Falcons' failed pursuit of Deshaun Watson in March 2022, the organization dealt mainstay Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts and signed Marcus Mariota as his replacement. Mariota was benched that December for rookie Desmond Ridder.
Rather than pursue a veteran quarterback or another passer in the draft, the Falcons opted to stick by Ridder heading into the season. Smith attributed criticism of Ridder in October to "toxic groupthink," but he would later go on to bench his starter twice in favor of Taylor Heinicke. Ridder started Sunday's finale against the Saints with Heinicke ruled out by an ankle injury.
Smith was also scrutinized for his use of the Falcons' skill-position players after the team invested top-10 picks in tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson. Pitts had just four more catches on the season (51) than fellow tight end Jonnu Smith, while Robinson, who was widely expected to be the centerpiece of the offense, had just 23 more carries than Tyler Allgeier.
The Falcons finished the year just 26th in scoring at 18.9 points per game.
Smith is the fourth NFL coach to be fired this season, following the Las Vegas Raiders' Josh McDaniels, Carolina Panthers' Frank Reich and Los Angeles Chargers' Brandon Staley.
veryGood! (2517)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- California Well Leaking Methane Ordered Sealed by Air Quality Agency
- Debate’s Attempt to Show Candidates Divided on Climate Change Finds Unity Instead
- Why childbirth is so dangerous for many young teens
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Every Must-See Moment From King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s Coronation
- Today’s Climate: July 3-4, 2010
- Picking a good health insurance plan can be confusing. Here's what to keep in mind
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- East Coast Shatters Temperature Records, Offering Preview to a Warming World
Ranking
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- How Harris is listening — and speaking — about abortion rights before the midterms
- 22 National Science Academies Urge Government Action on Climate Change
- Trump’s FEMA Ignores Climate Change in Strategic Plan for Disaster Response
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Conservatives' standoff with McCarthy brings House to a halt for second day
- Villains Again? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Nix Innovative Home Energy Programs
- Are Electric Vehicles Leaving Mass Transit in the Shadows?
Recommendation
The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
Planned Parenthood mobile clinic will take abortion to red-state borders
Today’s Climate: June 25, 2010
Medical debt ruined her credit. 'It's like you're being punished for being sick'
Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
Medical debt ruined her credit. 'It's like you're being punished for being sick'
White woman who fatally shot Black neighbor through front door arrested on manslaughter and other charges
Scripps Howard Awards Recognizes InsideClimate News for National Reporting on a Divided America