The Falcons have set up a second interview with former Patriots coach Bill Belichick for their head coaching vacancy for this weekend, according to league-owned NFL Media.
Belichick is the franchise’s No. 1 target to replace Arthur Smith, who was fired Jan. 8 after three seasons as head coach.
“The guy that (Falcons owner Arthur) Blank is going after is Bill,” a person familiar with the situation told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Jan. 11.
This comes a day after Dallas owner Jerry Jones said that the Cowboys would retain Mike McCarthy. After the Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs, McCarthy was thought to be in danger of being fired and the Cowboys would pursue Belichick.
Also, the Falcons completed a virtual interview with Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson for their vacancy.
Belichick has not interviewed with any other teams. He will be the first candidate to have a second interview with the Falcons.
To comply with the NFL’s Rooney Rule, the Falcons cannot hire a new coach without interviewing at least two external minority candidates in person. Belichick and former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh were interviewed in person.
In addition to Belichick and Harbaugh, the Falcons have interviewed (all virtually):
— Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson
— 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks
— Ravens associate head coach/defensive line Anthony Weaver
— Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald
— Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan
— Panthers defensive coordinator Eijro Evero
Harbaugh reportedly is the leading candidate for the Chargers’ opening.
The Falcons requested interviews with four others:
— Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
— Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
— Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce
— Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris
Johnson and Glenn will be available to interview Friday or Saturday, Lions coach Dan Campbell told the Detroit Free Press.
Morris interviewed with the Panthers on Wednesday.
If the Falcons have zeroed in on Belichick, why would a minority candidate come in for so-called sham interviews with the Falcons?
Belichick, 71, who led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, agreed to part ways with the franchise Jan. 11 — bringing an end to his 24-year tenure as the mastermind of the most decorated dynasty of the NFL’s Super Bowl era.
The Falcons, then under coach Dan Quinn, faced Belichick and the Patriots in Super Bowl 51 on Feb. 5, 2017. The Falcons built a 28-3 lead before the Patriots erased the largest deficit in Super Bowl history and won 34-28 in overtime.
Belichick reportedly is assembling a future coaching staff and could also be a candidate for the Washington Commanders’ vacant head coaching job. Former Falcons interim coach Morris is a potential fallback candidate for the Falcons if they can’t land Belichick.
Blank and the Falcons have ties to the New England organization. Blank is a good friend of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and they often sit together at the commissioner’s press conferences at the Super Bowl.
When the Falcons were looking for a replacement for coach Bobby Petrino in 2007-08, they went after former New England coach Bill Parcells. He reportedly leveraged the Falcons’ interest into landing a job as the Dolphins’ executive vice president of football operations.
Belichick had similar powers in New England, but his personnel moves of late have been substandard. It will be interesting to see if he gets full control of team personnel with the Falcons or another franchise.
Belichick became only the third coach in NFL history to reach 300 career regular-season wins this season, joining Hall of Famers Don Shula and George Halas. He has a total of 333 wins, including the playoffs. He trails only Shula (347 wins) for the record for NFL victories by a coach.
Since quarterback Tom Brady left after the 2019 season, Belichick and the Patriots have fallen on hard times. The record in four seasons since then is 29-38, with one playoff appearance.
The six Super Bowl wins tie Belichick with Halas and Curly Lambeau for the most NFL championships. Belichick won his last Super Bowl, a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams, on Feb. 3, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Belichick’s legacy in New England was marred by two major cheating scandals and several minor ones. The Patriots lost draft picks and were fined more than $1 million during his tenure.
Story by D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
