Falcons DC Raheem Morris Reportedly to Be Interim HC After Dan Quinn's Firing

Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Raheem Morris will become the team's interim coach after Dan Quinn was fired Sunday, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.

Quinn was fired as the team's head coach after the Falcons' 0-5 start along with general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

Morris has head coaching experience after spending three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, producing a 17-31 record from 2009-11. He led the squad to a 10-6 record behind quarterback Josh Freeman in 2010 but fell short of the playoffs.

Morris is in his sixth season with the Falcons, spending time on both sides of the ball. He was an assistant head coach, receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the last three years before becoming a defensive coordinator this season.

The defense has struggled in 2020—currently ranked 30th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed—but Morris will hope to turn things around in his new role.

Atlanta had failed to live up to expectations since reaching the Super Bowl after the 2016 season, going just 24-24 over the next three years combined. The squad has seemed to bottom out in 2020 with five straight losses to begin the season, blowing 20-point leads in two of the games.

"Our finish in 2019 earned an opportunity to show that momentum could be continued and built upon, but that has clearly not happened," owner Arthur Blank said in a statement.

The 44-year-old Morris will try to turn things around and potentially prove he deserves another full-time role leading a team.

Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter could have been another option for the Falcons, also with three years of head coaching experience with the Buccaneers, but the team will move forward with Morris at the helm.