Raheem Morris, GM Terry Fontenot Fired by Falcons, Who Are Top HC Replacements?

After just two years with head coach Raheem Morris at the helm, the Atlanta Falcons decided that it's time for a change.

The Falcons fired Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday, following the conclusion of an 8-9 season. According to Falcons insider Terrin Waack, Morris and Fontenot each met with the team after being fired:

Falcons owner Arthur Blank addressed the decisions in a statement on Sunday:

"I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward. The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits."

Blank also released a letter to Falcons fans on Monday to explain "changes already in progress" in the search for a new head coach, general manager and president of football operations while also promoting Greg Beadles to president and CEO of the Falcons:

"No statement can change the disappointment of the past several seasons. I know we have fallen short of the standard you expect and we as an organization have for ourselves. That responsibility rests with me. When results do not match expectations over time, as the owner, accountability cannot be shared or softened. I believe this team should be competing at a higher level than it has, and I share your deep frustration.

You, our fans, and the community we are proud to represent are the heartbeat of this franchise. Week after week, season after season, you show up, you believe, and you support this team with pride. You have invested your time, money and emotion into the Falcons, and that commitment deserves a team that competes for championships year in and year out. We have not delivered that consistently enough in recent years. To respect your continuous support of our team and the necessity to put a consistently winning product on the field, we recently put everything on the table to determine how to best move forward.

With the help of Sportsology Group, we have conducted a deep, thorough and intentional health assessment of our entire football operation over the last two months. Knowing adjustments across our operation are necessary to achieve our goals, we will be making significant changes. As we announced last night, we will have a new head coach and general manager in 2026, but that is only one part of our approach in a new era.

The process we embarked on in recent months was an honest review of our football team from top to bottom; how football decisions are informed, made and implemented; how we are structured; and how we communicate internally."

Morris just finished his second stint in Atlanta after serving as interim head coach during the 2020 campaign.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero first reported the news of Morris' dismisall.

The question now is who the Falcons will hire, and here are some potential replacements:

• Klint Kubiak, OC, Seattle Seahawks
• Mike LaFleur, OC, Los Angeles Rams
• Vance Joseph, DC, Denver Broncos
• Jeff Hafley, DC, Green Bay Packers

After a promising 8-9 finish to his first year with the Falcons, things appeared to fall apart for Morris in 2025. The team initially struggled to live up to its own expectations but had a strong finish with four straight wins, posting another 8-9 record and missing the playoffs for the eighth straight year. Second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who was selected eighth overall in the 2024 draft to kick off Morris' tenure, was lost after nine games due to season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn ACL.

ESPN's Dan Graziano reported in November that Morris' job was in danger because even though he's "a personal favorite" of team owner Arthur Blank, the 83-year-old "was expecting the Falcons to be competitive this season."

Atlanta started the year with three wins in its first five games before a five-game losing streak set the team back. After losing Penix, the Falcons were forced to turn back to veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was benched in 2024 when they handed the reins to the young signal-caller. Cousins produced 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games after taking back over as the starter.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep Morris in the fold. The longtime coach should draw interest from teams in need of a new leader, or he could go back to his roots as a defensive coordinator.

The Falcons will now have to search for the right person to lead the development of Penix and help end their lengthy postseason drought.