(Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Falcons fired coach Arthur Smith after three consecutive 7-10 seasons.
His quarterback situation was never ideal, but he played in the weakest division in the league and constantly underperformed in big games, not to mention the fact that he seemed to misuse some of the promising weapons he had at his disposal.
Now, the team wants to make sure to hire the right guy for the future, and they have no shortage of potential candidates to take the reins of the team.
According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, that list of candidates includes San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
“The Falcons requested permission to interview 49ers DC Steve Wilks for their head coach job,” Garafolo said.
The #Falcons requested permission to interview #49ers DC Steve Wilks for their head coach job, source says.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 11, 2024
Wilks went 6-6 as an interim head coach for the Carolina Panthers, taking over for Matt Rhule when he was fired early in the season, and finishing the campaign on a high note.
Despite the big turnaround and success even without Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers decided to go in a different direction and hired Frank Reich to serve as their new coach, only to fire him midseason as well.
Wilks, on the other hand, went on to replace DeMeco Ryans in San Francisco, leading one of the best defensive units in the league.
He’s one of the top-ranked assistants in the league, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him landing a job sometime in the future.
Then again, with the likes of Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh also reportedly on their shortlist, the Falcons might want to take their time before making any major decisions about their next coach.
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