FLOWERY BRANCH – Former Falcons coach Mike Smith, who's kept a low profile since being fired on Dec. 29, could
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
be headed to Oakland as Jack Del Rio’s defensive coordinator, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Del Rio was named as the Raiders new coach on Wednesday.
Also, the Falcons denied the Raiders permission to talk to offensive line coach Mike Tice and the Jets permission to take to special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong.
Smith was Del Rio’s defensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-07. He became the Falcons coach in 2008 and became the winningest coach in franchise history with a 66-46 record (.589) and 1-4 (.200) in the playoffs.
He had the Falcons on the brink of the Super Bowl after the 2012 season when they reached the NFC championship game, but were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers.
But things went backwards over the past two seasons as the Falcons went 4-12 in 2013 and 6-10 last season.
With the Falcons waiting so late to hire a coach, they are hoping to give the new hire a chance to keep some of the staff members who are under contract for next season.
Armstrong, who played with Bowles in college at Temple for Arizona coach Bruce Arians, was also interviewed for the head coaching vacancy.
Also, Teryl Austin arrived in town late Wednesday night and will have his interview moved to Thursday.
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