Late on Sunday night, the Atlanta Falcons confirmed that head coach Arthur Smith was fired. Smith did not qualify for the postseason throughout his three seasons (21–30) of finishing with a 7–10 record. The Falcons had plenty of chances to qualify for the NFC playoffs in 2023, but they lost four of their last five games, which probably convinced owner Arthur Blank to take a different approach. The best odds (+300) to become the head coach of Atlanta are shared by Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots, and Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. Ben Johnson is a youthful, offensive-minded alternative, and Belichick provides the seasoned, tried-and-true knowledge of seven Super Bowl victories.
With +325 odds, Jim Harbaugh is the next best player. The Harbaugh brand is undoubtedly gaining traction at the moment because Jim’s brother John coached Michigan to the National Title game and now leads the Baltimore Ravens to the top seed in the AFC. Before accepting the position at Michigan, former NFL quarterback Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014. Oddsmakers list the following contenders: Eric Bienemy, offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders; Bobby Slovik, offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans; and Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. The Washington Commanders also made coaching changes this offseason.
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