Offensive assistant Ben Steele is the biggest softball hitter on the Falcons coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is the top golfer. Head coach Dan Quinn and linebacker coach Jeff Ulbrich need some more lessons.
Quinn made a concerted effort this offseason for the revamped coaching staff to spend a lot of time together away from the confining walls of the Flowery Branch complex, where they’ll spend many more hours over the course of this important 2019 regular season.
Most days started with breakfast club meetings, where several football topics were discussed, and then an activity in the afternoon or early evening.
“We spent a lot of time together intentionally,” Quinn said. “I know who’s good at softball. I know who’s good at golf. I know who’s good at volleyball. All of the moments we were not always together inside the building.”
After replacing three coordinators and adding some new blood to the coaching staff, Quinn sensed that some off-the-field bonding was necessary.
“These guys are real football guys,” Quinn said. “There is over 400 years of coaching experience between all of them. That kind of experience is important to share with one another and we are certainly willing to do that.”
The activities had a purpose other than blowing off steam away from the office.
“Could they, as a group, get really close,” Quinn said.
If the Falcons are going to return to elite status in the NFC, just two seasons removed from a trip to the Super Bowl, the coaching needed to improve.
The Falcons fired offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong after the disappointing 7-9 season.
Among the changes, Koetter, who’d never work with Quinn, was hired to replace Sarkisian. Ben Kotwica was hired as the new special teams coordinator. While Quinn will call the defense, he hired former Kansas City defensive coordinator Bob Sutton as a senior assistant. Mike Mularkey, a three-time head coach, was hired as tight ends coach.
“Obviously, I have great faith in Mike and Dirk and their addition to the staff,” Quinn said. “Ben and moving Bernie (Parmalee) over to the special teams side. Then, myself and Jess (Simpson) on the defensive side. That was a lot of changes. Then adding Bob together as well.”
Simpson will coach the defensive line after Bryant Young left for personal reasons.
“What I would say is that I really feel the connection between the group,” Quinn said. “People that are looking out for one another and supporting one another and that’s what you want.”
There’s a common theme throughout the backgrounds of the new members of the coaching staff.
“We’ve got a number of excellent teachers,” Quinn said. “Asking questions across the ball, position by position, asking questions. Mike Mularkey has been in every meeting room. Bob Sutton has been with the offense. We’ve crossed as often as we could.”
After being No. 1 in the league under Kyle Shanahan, the offense slipped in the two seasons under Sarkisian. He essentially was given the keys to a Porsche and couldn’t keep it on the road. Last season’s injuries along the offensive line didn’t help the unit either.
While quarterback Matt Ryan continued to put up gaudy numbers, the unit was not consistently productive because of the lack of a solid rushing attack. With running back Devonta Freeman playing only two games, the Falcons ranked 27th in rushing, averaging just 98.3 yards per game.
Manuel, after just two seasons, was terminated. Before his swift decline, Manuel was being touted as a possible head coaching candidate. His fate seemed particularly ruthless because of the rash of injuries suffered on the defensive side of the ball last season.
The defense, played without three key starters for most of the season, dropped from ranking eighth in scoring defense (19.7 points a game) in 2017, to 25th (26.4) in 2018. The unit, which was poor on third downs (31st) and didn’t put up much of a fight in the red- zone (28th), also gave up an average of 66.1 more yards a game than in 2017.
Kotwica replaced Armstrong, who was the Falcons’ special teams coordinator from 2008-18. The Falcons have been looking to improve their return game and tried to go younger and cheaper at the place-kicker position, before electing to re-sign veteran Matt Bryant.
Mularkey, Koetter and Raheem Morris have been head coaches in the NFL. Sutton, who was head coach at Army from 1991-99, likes the assemblage of former head coaching talent in those meetings.
“We have such a strong group of offensive coaches that have been in charge of these things,” Sutton said. “Of all of the time that I’ve been in the league, this will be my 20th year, this is probably as strong as a group that has actually been in charge and have done it.”
Sutton and Quinn worked together with the Jets in 2007 and 2008.
“It was an easy transition from that standpoint,” Sutton said. “We stayed close (since) that time. Always bouncing defensive ideas off of each other and approaches.”
Sutton, who will help with in-game management, and others on the staff have deep ties. Defensive passing game coordinator Jerome Henderson was also with the Jets, defensive backs coach Doug Mallory was on Sutton’s staff at Army and Kotwica played for Sutton at Army.
“It was an easy transition where you knew some folks,” Sutton said. “I knew the kind of program that Dan ran from the culture that he was looking for and that was appealing to me.”
Pulling it all together has been Quinn’s major offseason project.
“For the players, one the goals is getting better and closer as a team,” Quinn said. “That’s true for the staff as well. Better and closer means your improvement for the players.
“On the coaching side, it’s your teaching and your play calling. For the players’ side, that might be your technique. But the closer side is always about communication about how you can do things better and giving feedback to one another. The rule applies with the coaches and the players.”
About the Author
