Falcons’ coaching staff could fill league vacancies

Falcons coach Mike Smith wants to keep his coaching staff in place, but knows that some of his assistants may be presented with other opportunities.

Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, a former head coach, is being considered for an interview with the Detroit Lions for their head coaching vacancy.

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Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, with rookie tackle Sam Baker before the Green Bay game, is being considered for an interview with the Detroit Lions for their head coaching vacancy.

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“Mike Mularkey has been a head coach in this league and has been very successful,” Smith said. “I believe that if he wants to, he’ll be a head coach in this league again.”

Smith, who had never been a head coach before this season, leaned heavily on Mularkey, who was Buffalo’s head coach in 2004-05.

“He was a great resource because he’d been through it,” Smith said. “This was the first time for me. I think it’s very important that you have guys that you can lean on and talk to.”

Wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie, a two-time interim head coach, is a former Oakland Raider and could get an interview with them.

Smith didn’t want to address specific teams, but he knows there is interest in his staff.

“I know that there have also been reports about Terry Robiskie,” said Smith, who was named the Associated Press coach of the year on Sunday. “Terry is an outstanding coach and he’s another guy that was a great resource for me.”

Defensive secondary assistant Doug Plank is a former teammate of Mike Singletary, who recently landed the San Francisco position.

“Obviously, this is a talented coaching staff,” general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “They’ve done a real nice job. There will be interest, I’m sure.”

Team captains

Smith believes in picking the official team captains after the season. At the final team meeting on Sunday, the team voted center Todd McClure and quarterback Matt Ryan the offensive captains, defensive end John Abraham and safety Lawyer Milloy the defensive captains and punter Michael Koenen and linebacker Coy Wire the special teams captains.

“Of all the individual awards that players received on our team this year, this to me is probably the most prestigious,” Smith said.

Team MVP

Smith and Dimitroff said if they voted, they’d pick running back Michael Turner as the team’s most valuable player.

“Michael has done a wonderful job here,” Dimitroff said. “Not only with taking the pressure off of a young quarterback, who was evolving. But … the way that he carried this team on his back, literally at times, to me was outstanding.”

Smith also is a backer of the player whose nickname is “the Burner.”

“Without a doubt in my mind, Michael Turner,” Smith said. “He ran for almost 1,700 yards rushing, 17 touchdowns … Michael had an outstanding season.”

Falcons unplugged

Smith ordered his players to shut it down and enjoy their time off.

“The first thing everybody, players and coaches, needs to do is unplug,” Smith said. “That was my message to the team on Sunday. Let’s take some time off.”

Players are dismissed until the start of offseason conditioning on March 23.

“We’ll have plenty of time to get ourselves in shape,” Smith said. “I hope all of the guys will take care of that, rest and relax.”