Mike Smith and Brian VanGorder's Path To Success With Atlanta Falcons

The magical run in 2008 for the Atlanta Falcons was certainly one to remember.  The team that was picked to finish near the bottom of the NFC by many pre-season publications was determined to prove all of the doubters wrong.

With the brilliant works of rookie of the year quarterback Matt Ryan and stud running back Michael Turner, the Falcons tore up the competition all the way to an eleven win season, and more importantly a playoff birth.

Teams do not go from four to eleven wins without an amazing performance from the collective efforts of the entire coaching staff.  The Falcons were an even more complex situation for Mike Smith and his staff to solve than most.

Coming off a year in which their star quarterback was indicted for dog fighting charges, the Falcons had the challenge of repairing the entire image of their team.  The coaches had to make the players believe again that they could win, a task not easily done with today’s modern athlete.

They had to accomplish the task of repairing torn egos, and still instill toughness and discipline throughout the organization.  It doesn’t take long to realize where that toughness and discipline came from.  Mike Smith and Brian VanGorder both carried themselves in a way that demanded a lot from their players, but they also knew how and when to relate and bond as well.  

Mike Smith and Brian VanGorder have different coaching styles, both molded and developed through their various stops along the way.  These two men were of course integral in taking a defense that left a lot to be desired talent wise, and morphing it into an opportunistic unit that played together with the intensity to get everything out of them on a consistent basis.

Mike Smith began his coaching career in the NFL as a linebackers coach for Brian Billick’s Baltimore Ravens.  Here he learned from one of the best in the business.  Smith studied Billick’s controlled intensity and connection with the players and blended these elements into his own amicable personality.  The result was something special that churned out immediate results.

In Baltimore, Smith provided the tutelage and development for such players as Ray Lewis, Adalius Thomas, and Peter Boulware.  Baltimore became one of the most intimidating defenses in the league, eventually leading the team to a Super Bowl title.

Smith took the experienced gained in Baltimore and excelled in his next challenge as Defensive Coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars.  From 2003-2007, Mike Smith lead yet another aggressive attacking defense that had amazing accomplishments in its own right.

Under Smith, Jacksonville was ranked fourth in league in overall defense and third in offensive points allowed.  The defense produced six Pro Bowl selections and many career years out of its players.  Even though he was sometimes overshadowed by head coach Jack Del Rio, Mike Smith gained the respect from his players and opponents alike.  In fact, Del Rio was quoted as saying, “Nobody works harder, he’s got a great mind for football.”

Brian VanGorder has had many stops along the way to Atlanta, but he makes an impact wherever he has gone.  His tough minded spirit and hard nose intensity has gotten the best out of his players in every level he has been at.

Starting in the high school ranks, VanGorder’s coaching career has been marked with brief, but excellent performances.  He racked up various accolades as the defensive coordinator at Central Michigan, and then went on to lead Western Illinois to a 9-2 mark as their defensive coordinator in 2000.  

Maybe his most notable and well-known stop came in 2001 when he joined Mark Richt’s newly formed staff at the University of Georgia.  Here VanGorder endeared himself to Bulldog fans and players by showing the high spirit and tenacity that trickled down to some of the more exciting defenses the Bulldog Nation has ever seen.

After Georgia, VanGorder made a brief stop in Jacksonville, where he was able to come in close contact with one Mike Smith.  With the Jaguars, VanGorder and Smith formed a well-functioning working relationship that they both knew could lead to further successes in more high profile situations.  This chemistry was so appealing for VanGorder that he left the opportunity to continue his head coach position at Georgia Southern to work with Smith in Atlanta.  It’s a safe bet to assume that he probably hasn’t regretted the decision.

Smith and VanGorder are just two examples of coaches in a staff that was filled with top performers.  It was, however, the example that these two men set that laid a framework for the rest of the coaching staff last season.  The combination of VanGorder’s intensity and Smith’s openness with his players was a formula that led to great success in 2008, which should continue for the future.  Even though they had different paths to the top, both of these coaches bring a dynamic sense of optimism to a young team that lacked it heading into last season.  If they can now instill humility and hunger to a team coming off great success, expect great things in 2009.