After missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season, the Atlanta Falcons have fired head coach Arthur Smith, the team announced.
Smith, 41, was hired by Atlanta before the 2021 season and has gone 7-10 in all three years on the sideline. He was signed to a six-year contract.
In a statement released by the team, owner Arthur Blank said: “Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good. We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years.
“He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations. After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position.”
The Falcons hired Smith from the Tennessee Titans, where he spent two seasons as the team’s offensive co-ordinator and 10 seasons total. With the Titans, he led their offence to a top-five finish in both yards and points in 2020.
Smith couldn’t find the right mix on the offensive side in Atlanta, as the team filtered through four different starting quarterbacks during his three years with the club.
As a result, the Falcons never had an offence finish higher than 15th in total yards or points during Smith’s tenure.
He ends his time in Atlanta as the ninth-winningest coach in franchise history with a 21-30 record.
In December, Blank said that he was committed to keeping Smith at the helm, but with a 1-4 record over the final five games of the season, resulting in the Falcons missing out on the post-season, that stance obviously changed.
The team still had a shot at clinching the NFC South title with a Week 18 win over the New Orleans Saints and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss, but Atlanta dropped their matchup 48-17. Smith also drew headlines after the loss for expressing his displeasure with Saints head coach Dennis Allen after New Orleans lined up in victory formation, then proceeded to hand the ball off for an extra touchdown at the end of the game.
The team said in the statement that the search for a new head coach is to begin immediately and will be led by Blank and Falcons CEO Rich McKay.
