Falcons hire T.J. Yates as passing-game specialist, 2 other assistants

Former quarterback T.J. Yates was hired by the Falcons as the team’s passing-game specialist, the Falcons announced Saturday.

The Falcons also hired Lanier Goethie as a defensive assistant and Nick Perry as assistant defensive backs coach.

Yates, 33, who played at Pope High and North Carolina, has been with the Houston Texans as a player and coach for seven of the past 10 seasons. He played for the Falcons in 2014. The Houston Chronicle originally reported the hiring.

Yates played for the Texans in 2011-13, 2015 and 2017. He joined the Texans’ coaching staff in 2019 as an offensive assistant and spent 2020 as the assistant quarterbacks coach. The Falcons have hired Charles London as their quarterbacks coach.

Goethie was linebackers coach at Duke from 2018-20. He’s also coached at Louisiana Tech (2016-17), Delta State (2012-15) and at North Greenville (2011). He played at Mississippi and was a graduate assistant there from 2009-10. Goethie graduated from Appling County High.

Perry, a safety, was a graduate assistant and analyst at Alabama over the past four seasons (2017-20). Perry played five seasons (2010-14) for the Crimson Tide.

Falcons’ 2021 draft position

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

2. New York Jets

3. Miami Dolphins (via Houston)

4. Falcons

5. Cincinnati Bengals