A new era: Falcons announce Kevin Stefanski as head coach

The Falcons have found their new head coach.

After working through a pool of nine candidates, the team is hiring Kevin Stefanski as the franchise’s 20th head coach, following their 8-9 season that saw them miss the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.

The Falcons met with Stefanski on Saturday. He was the first candidate to have a second interview for the position that became open when Raheem Morris was fired on Jan. 4.

Stefanski, 43, was the head coach of the Browns from 2020-25, leading them to the playoffs after the ’20 and ’23 seasons. He was named coach of the year in each of those seasons. He previously served as the offensive coordinator for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, where he worked with Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2018-19.

“We’re thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness and active collaboration with every area of the football operation,” Matt Ryan, Falcons president of football, said in a team statement.

“Coach Stefanski is a team-first leader who puts a premium on accountability for everyone and a player-driven culture. His experience in Cleveland and Minnesota has given him a great understanding of the importance of working in sync with scouting, personnel and the rest of the football staff to maximize talent across the roster and in doing everything possible to put our players in the best position to succeed.

“Kevin’s style of leadership, combined with the staff and infrastructure in place here in Atlanta, gives us confidence in our shared vision for the team and we are excited to have him as the leader of our football team.”

During Stefanski’s time with the Browns, the team moved on from quarterback Baker Mayfield and traded him to the Panthers in July 2022.

The Browns then outbid the Falcons and Panthers for quarterback Deshaun Watson by guaranteeing a four-year, $230 million contract.

Watson’s time with the Browns was marred by injuries, as Stefanski had Jacoby Brissett, Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston and Shedeur Sanders as the team’s leading passers over his final four seasons.

The Browns were 8-26 over the past two seasons, and Stefanski finished with a 45-56 record (.446).

Stefanski gets a new start with the Falcons, who have a dynamic offense that boasts one of the league’s best running backs, Bijan Robinson, along with high-level targets, including receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.

Team owner Arthur M. Blank hired Ryan as the team’s new president of football, and along with Stefanski’s addition, they’ll move to find a new general manager.

“I’m beyond thrilled to be charged with leading this iconic franchise,” Stefanski said in the team statement. “I am grateful to Mr. Blank and Matt Ryan for trusting me to coach this football team and there are many talented players on our roster that I cannot wait to coach.

“We share a vision for this football team that I believe will make Falcons fans everywhere proud. We will get to work immediately putting together a first-class coaching staff and working hard to get to know all the great people that are so important to getting us all where we want to go.”

The big question is at quarterback where starter Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from an ACL injury and the future for Cousins is uncertain. The defense took a big step forward this season, and the Falcons finished the season on a four-game winning streak.

Stefanski met with Falcons leadership, including Blank, Saturday in Atlanta. That meeting looked to close the deal.

“In Kevin Stefanski, we have found a coach with the right vision, focus and demeanor to lead our team into the future. From all our research and a wonderful visit with him tonight, I believe he is the right coach to take the talent on our roster to a new level and to work with Matt, our new GM and all our football personnel to build on the strong foundation in place and take it to new heights,” Blank said in the team statement.

“He has a great plan for his staff, and he’s learned many things during his stops in Cleveland and Minnesota that have prepared him for this moment. Our objective is to win games and contend for championships every year and that is where our shared focus will remain. We are committed to putting all necessary support and resources around Coach Stefanski to achieve that success and the work has already begun.”

Stefanski, a native of Philadelphia, played defensive back at Penn (2000-04) in the Ivy League.

He was the assistant director of football operations at Penn before getting hired by the Vikings’ coach at the time, Brad Childress.

He was the assistant to the head coach (2006-08), assistant quarterbacks coach (2009-13), tight ends coach (2014-15), running backs coach (2016), quarterbacks coach (2017-18), interim offensive coordinator (part of 2018) and offensive coordinator (2019).

Stefanski and his wife Michelle are both Philadelphia natives and they have three children, Juliette, Will and Gabe.

The Falcons also interviewed: