FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons, searching for stability and proven leadership after years of inconsistency, have hired Kevin Stefanski as the 20th head coach in franchise history.

Atlanta brought the former Cleveland Browns head coach in for a second interview on Saturday morning, indicating their interest in ensuring he did not get away. Stefanski had also interviewed with the Ravens, Raiders, Dolphins, and Titans, with Tennessee reportedly gearing up a big push for him. 

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The president of football, Matt Ryan, said that the team was looking for a head coach with “emotional stability” and “the ability to command respect of your players,” traits they see in Stefanski. And the Falcons got their guy. 

Coming off a pair of 8-9 seasons, the Falcons feel as if they are in a position to win now. Stefanski, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, was considered by many to be the top option for candidates with head coach experience. Just 13 coaches have ever received this recognition twice since 1957.

Despite the two difficult years in Cleveland that led to his dismissal, Stefanski has proof of concept. 

Stefanski, a noted offensive coach, worked his way up from an assistant quarterback coach with the Minnesota Vikings in 2009 to the offensive coordinator role in 2019. He then went to Cleveland in 2020. 

His tenure ended with a 45-56 record, but it was marked by two of the franchise’s three playoff appearances in the last 30 years (the first since 2002) and their only postseason victory during that span. Those two seasons also represented two of their three seasons with 10 or more wins. 

Ultimately, Cleveland’s quarterback situation was untenable. His early seasons with Baker Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett produced some stable offenses, but it all fell apart after that. Over his last three seasons, the Browns have gone through nine different starters. Several of those issues stemmed from their overly ambitious pursuit of Deshaun Watson, a move that led to Stefanski’s eventual demise. 

Attention now turns to assembling a staff and finding a quarterback to bridge the gap between now and Michael Penix Jr.’s eventual return from knee injury. A common thought is that Stefanski will largely retain the defensive staff led by Jeff Ulbrich after their strong 2025 season. 

Team owner Arthur Blank has been on the record saying he would suggest the next staff retain the defensive coordinator, but would not require it. However, the Falcons have already blocked the Dallas Cowboys from speaking with him about their defensive coordinator opening. 

As offensive coordinator, one name that has circulated is Drew Petzing. He was most recently with the Arizona Cardinals and worked with Stefanski in both Minnesota and Cleveland. 

At quarterback, Stefanski has experience coaching Kirk Cousins, but it is widely believed that the Falcons will part ways with the veteran quarterback in March. If Cousins is no longer an option, Stefanski could bring in one of his former players (like Brissett, who also played under Petzing in Arizona) or the team could pick someone up in free agency. 

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The Falcons had also expressed interest in several other first-time and experienced head coaches. They interviewed a total of nine candidates over the last few weeks before settling on  Stefanski for their position. 

Atlanta parted ways with Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot after Week 18. With Stefanski as the next head coach for this new-look franchise, attention can now turn to filling the vacancy at general manager. 

Stefanski will now look to bring some stability back to the Falcons and snap what has matched their worst eight-year stretch in franchise history. The work starts now.