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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 atVcountryman@gannett.com.
