Atlanta, GA
Latest Intel on the Atlanta Falcons Coaching Search
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons’ coaching search has accelerated in recent days following the Falcons’ official announcement of Matt Ryan as their new president of football. Several candidates are now moving quickly to make their case as Atlanta shapes the next phase of its franchise.
The most important domino in this process is former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. The Giants have reportedly made him their top target. According to Ian O’Connor of The Athletic, New York team executive Chris Mara met with Harbaugh for lunch on Sunday in Baltimore before they had “an informal” meeting at the coach’s house.
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Atlanta, who are considered by many to be the Giants’ top competition for Harbaugh, also announced that it interviewed the hot target on Monday afternoon. It was later revealed that it was not in person, which is a common practice at this stage of the process.
Harbaugh has now spoken with all seven teams that have an opening, and The Athletic reported that the Giants, Falcons, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, and Cleveland Browns are in the mix for the 18-year Ravens coach. The formal interviews are expected to take place later this week and into next week for the teams he ultimately selects.
The Super Bowl champion coach immediately became the hottest name on the market after the Ravens parted with him last week. He will likely be the first coach to make his decision, with these teams making their best pitches for him.
Harbaugh is not the only coach the Falcons interviewed on Monday, as former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was announced on Monday evening.
McDaniel spent the last four seasons with the Dolphins, where he went 7-10 last season and finished with a 35-33 overall record. His team snapped a five-year postseason drought in his first year in charge, before returning in consecutive seasons, but failing to advance in both tries. Miami was 15-19 over his next two years, leading to the change in leadership.
The former Dolphins coach is widely regarded as one of the sharpest offensive minds in the sport, and he has ties to the Falcons’ organization. He spent two seasons in Atlanta, culminating in the team’s Super Bowl run and Ryan’s MVP season.
McDaniel followed Kyle Shanahan to San Francisco in 2017, where he spent the next five seasons (one as the run game specialist, two as run game coordinator, and two as the offensive coordinator).
If he does not sign on as a head coach somewhere, McDaniel is expected to be the hottest offensive coordinator target on the market. The Detroit Lions are interested in bringing him on in this capacity, while the Browns, Titans, and Ravens are in the mix for him as a head coach.
Over the weekend, the Falcons welcomed in Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde and requested Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
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Evero is in his third season in charge of the Panthers’ defense, and Dave Canales stated that the team “absolutely” wants to bring him back. The Las Vegas Raiders also requested time with the coordinator, and that virtual conversation could be coming any day now that Carolina was eliminated from the playoffs.
Durde is the only candidate in this specific listing who is still in the playoffs, but they were able to speak with him due to the Seahawks having a first-round bye. The Seahawks’ coordinator led one of the NFL’s best defenses in 2025. His unit led the NFL in scoring (17.2 points per game) and was second in expected points added per play (-0.17).
In-person interviews with assistants who are under contract with other teams can begin on Monday (Jan 19), unless those teams are still alive for the conference title games. The deadline would then extend to Jan 26, when those teams are either eliminated from the playoffs or in the midst of their bye week before the Super Bowl – those coaches are not permitted to interview in person during that bye week unless they have completed a virtual interview in January.
A full track record of who the Falcons have spoken with over the last week, and going forward, can be found here. This list will continue to evolve, so make sure to check back in to stay up to date on everything the Falcons have going on during this search.
With Ryan now in place and formal interviews set to begin, the Falcons appear poised to move quickly once Harbaugh makes his decision. Whether Atlanta lands its top target or pivots to a different candidate, the shape of the next era will come into focus in the coming weeks.
SAN FRANCISCO — Robbie Ray was everything the Giants could ask for on Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park.
In a performance that continued a strong recent stretch, the 34-year-old went eight innings and gave up a single unearned run, leading San Francisco to a 3-2 win.
It was an outing that will only increase potential interest in Ray at the upcoming MLB trade deadline, one where the Giants figure to be busy after ending their first winning homestand since April with a record of 35-48.
The Braves, who remain in first place in the NL East, are 49-33.
Ray was perfect through four innings until Matt Olson broke up his run of 12 consecutive batters retired with a single to center to lead off the fifth.
His shutout bid was ruined in the eighth when Michael Harris II drove in Eli White with a sacrifice fly, but Ray buckled down and retired Ozzie Albies with a popup to center to end the inning.
The Giants got on the board when Luis Arraez scored in the sixth on an infield single by Rafael Devers, running home when Austin Riley’s throw bounced off Olson’s glove and trickled away from him down the right-field line. They scored again when Albies threw the ball past Olson on Jung Hoo Lee’s grounder to the right side, allowing Heliot Ramos to score.
Ramos made his return from a right quad strain Sunday and played in his first game with the Giants since May 15.
Arraez led off the inning with an infield single down the left-field line, and Ramos further set the table with a single to center. Arraez added on in the seventh, bringing in an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Drew Gilbert, who had led off the inning with a pinch-hit single to center.
The Sunday matinee was attended by 33,138 fans. Next up for the Giants is a quick six-game trip that begins Monday with an evening game in Arizona and will continue with a three-game set in Colorado over the holiday weekend, starting Friday.
Check back for updates to this story.
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Top fast food chain report: Jersey Mike’s takes first place
After an 11-year run, Chick-fil-A is no longer the top-rated quick-service restaurant, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
A new survey suggests that if Georgia workers could choose any office in the state to work from, many would pick Chick-fil-A’s headquarters in Atlanta.
The survey from Resume.io asked more than 3,000 workers nationwide to identify the workplaces they would most like to work from if location were not a factor.
Participants were instructed to judge the office environment itself rather than salary, benefits, company culture or employer reputation.
Among Georgia locations, the Chick-fil-A Support Center ranked highest, followed by Porsche Cars North America’s headquarters in Atlanta.
Chick-fil-A tops Georgia list
The Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A Support Center ranked No. 17 nationally in the survey.
Researchers highlighted the campus-style setting, which includes landscaped grounds, gardens, walking trails and visitor experiences. The workplace was noted for having a more retreat-like atmosphere than a traditional office tower.
The support center serves as the corporate headquarters for the restaurant chain founded by S. Truett Cathy.
Porsche headquarters also earns recognition
Coming in at No. 30 nationally was the headquarters of Porsche Cars North America.
Located in metro Atlanta, the campus is home to the Porsche Experience Center and includes a driver development track, simulators, event space, training facilities and a vehicle restoration workshop.
The survey described the site as a workplace that immerses employees in the brand’s automotive culture.
What workers want from an office
According to Resume.io, respondents were asked to focus strictly on the physical workplace environment when making their selections.
The survey comes as many employers continue balancing in-office, hybrid and remote work arrangements.
Amanda Augustine, a career expert with Resume.io, said employee expectations have changed as flexible work has become more common.
“If people are going to spend time commuting and working onsite, the experience has to offer something more than a desk and fluorescent lighting,” Augustine said.
Which offices ranked highest nationwide?
Nationally, the top-ranked workplace was Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York City.
Other offices appearing near the top of the list included the PGA TOUR Global Home in Florida, Servco Pacific’s headquarters in Hawaii, Google’s St. John’s Terminal in New York and TikTok’s U.S. Data Security office in Arizona.
Georgia was one of only a handful of states to place two workplaces among the survey’s top 30 most desirable offices.
For more information, visit resume.io.
Vanessa Johns is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia, covering food and entertainment. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.
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