The Atlanta Falcons have hired Tom Dimitroff, New England's director of college scouting, as their new general manager. His first task will be hiring a head coach. Dimitroff, 40, has been afforded the authority to hire the coach, even though outgoing general manager Rich McKay, team owner Arthur Blank and other team officials have spent the past two weeks interviewing potential coaching candidates. It is believed Dimitroff, as well as every candidate interviewed, provided names of potential head coaches they would like to pursue to replace Bobby Petrino, who resigned before the season ended to coach at the University of Arkansas.
Dimitroff is a highly respected talent evaluator who with the Patriots has worked in the shadow of coach and final decision-maker Bill Belichick and vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli, considered one of the best personnel men in the business. Dimitroff faces a challenging task of re-tooling a Falcons roster that was beset by injury, age and ineffectiveness in finishing 4-12 last season. Despite working behind the scenes for the Patriots since 2002, Dimitroff, who has 18 years of scouting/personnel experience, is well known for his work throughout the NFL. He was considered for the Minnesota Vikings general manager job two years ago.
Before joining the Patriots, Dimitroff worked as a scout for Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City. He broke into the pro ranks working in the Canadian and World leagues.
His diligence in finding talent — typically late in each round of the draft because of the Patriots' success — is something Blank was searching for after making the decision to replace McKay as general manager three weeks ago. McKay had served as president and general manager since he was hired from Tampa Bay in December 2003.
Dimitroff arrived in Atlanta Monday to begin trudging through the multitude of tasks to try to fix the Falcons. The common thinking is that since he is relatively young, 40, he likely would hire a younger coach to grow with him in this rebuilding process. No one knows if anyone the Falcons have already interviewed - Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Colts assistant head coach Jim Caldwell - are on his radar.
Dimitroff will have significant, if not total input on hiring a head coach. Such decisions rarely, if at all, are made unilaterally, so Blank, McKay and others likely will give their opinions on coaching candidates. A good thing for Dimitroff is he’s also coming from outside of the organization, where he can comfortably accumulate opinions from other league officials about potential coaches.
Dimitroff also must hire a staff he feels comfortable with and a staff with experience in pro personnel to help with free agency and trades. Dimitroff’s expertise lies in college talent evaluation and he hasn’t been involved in a lot of trades, salary-cap decisions and things of that nature so he is going to need some help. There are several people already employed by the Falcons who are very capable but he might want to hire some people he is aligned with to support him when tough decisions need to be made.
The next few years will tell us if Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank chose well. This much we know: Blank has absorbed a lot of criticism of late. But after being conned by Bobby Petrino, used by Bill Parcells and dancing an illogical dance with Pete Carroll, he bounced back with a reasoned choice, free of emotion, pyrotechnics and clowns with exploding feet. Blank didn’t hire a sideshow. He hired a football guy.
Eight years ago the New England Patriots weren't so good. Then owner Robert Kraft did something radical: He hired a personnel chief (Scott Pioli) known only to hard-core football geeks and a head coach (Bill Belichick) who had been a disaster in Cleveland.
Tom Dimitroff worked for the New England Patriots. For the past six seasons, he has worked for arguably the best owner (Kraft), the best personnel director (Pioli) and the best coach (Belichick) in professional sports. There is something to be said for osmosis.
Personally, this writer is thinking more along the lines of a couple of Atlanta Falcon fans that posted comments on Wyches article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitutioon today.
By dufferdawg
let me get this straight…the Falcons hired a GM with NO experience handling free agency, trades or salary cap issues…??? If his strong suit is evaluating college talent, it sounds like he should REPORT to a GM not BE a GM !!! The abyss known as the Atlanta Falcons grows deeper and darker…
dufferdawg makes a great point on experience and I preferred Tom Heckert of the Philadelphia Eagles for just that reason.
By JCSmalls
I really don’t know what to think. How did Blank and McKay interview like 10 people last week in person and this guy not be one of them. I love the fact that he came from the Pats, but other than College Scouting, how much experience does he have? I would like it if we got Jim Caldwell in here as coach and if (Tony) Dungy retires, we could get a bunch of personnel from the Colts. Setting up our franchise with Colts and Pats personnel would not hurt my feelings.
I agree with JCSmalls. I want Caldwell for Head Coach. He appears to be the best candidate Blank and McKay have talked to that is interested in the job. With Caldwell on board under Dimitroff we might have something.
The Atlanta Falcons have named defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas as their interim head coach, sources confirm for (Atlanta's) 11Alive Sports. The move came a day after Bobby Petrino departed the Falcons after just 13 games to return to the college ranks and coach for the University of Arkansas. Thomas was a defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs for 13 years. Thomas has been an assistant coach in Atlanta since 2002.
Why Thomas as opposed to one of our Coordinators? Are they seen as Petrino's guns, perhaps loyal to him and on their way to Arkansas? Is Thomas seen as a "company" man? I think we had some experience in our Coordinators and would have liked to have seen us evaluate a continuation in our staff and program, perhaps on the Defensive side, since Bobby was hands off with the D anyway.
Mike Zimmer is in his first season with the Falcons after spending the past 13 years with the Dallas Cowboys, including the last seven years as Defensive Coordinator. During his time in Dallas, Zimmer established himself as one of the NFL's top defensive minds with a fundamentally sound and aggressive scheme. After joining the Dallas staff in 1994, he was promoted to Defensive Coordinator in 2000. In seven of his 13 years with the Cowboys , they ranked in the top 10 in total defense and pass defense, while advancing to the postseason seven times. As Defensive Coordinator in Dallas, Zimmer earned respect and recognition from around the NFL. In 2005 as he adapted his defense to the Cowboys changing rosters by successfully overseeing the transition from the club's base 4-3 defense to a 3-4 system.
Hue Jackson is in his first season with the Falcons and it is his second opportunity as an Offensive Coordinator in the NFL in 2007. Jackson was the highly-respected Wide Receivers coach for the Cincinnati Bengals the past three seasons. During his successful time with the Bengals, Jackson molded wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh into one of the most productive receiving tandems in Bengals history and one of the top duos in the League. Last year under the tutelage of Jackson, Johnson (1,369) and Houshmandzadeh (1,081) became the first Bengals teammates to each surpass the 1,000-yard receiving mark.
Marty Schottenheimer served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns,Kansas City Chiefs, Washingrton Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He left his head coaching position with the San Diego Chargers in 2007, after leading the Chargers to a 14-2 record.
"At left tackle we have Quinn Ojinnaka there and we’ll be rotating Harvey Dahl and Terrance Pennington."
Thanks Bobby Petrino. That's real comforting.
Petrino
With the recent release of Grady Jackson, Trey Lewis is expected to get his first NFL start Sunday when the Falcons welcome the San Francisco 49ers to the Georgia Dome. It's a far cry from Lewis' last start at Division II Washburn University in Topeka, Kan. His size (6-3, 320 pounds) allows him to play both defensive tackle spots, but he'll likely work more at nose tackle as the team moves into the second half of the 2007 season.
Washburn? A Real Stud here. NOT!
The Falcons Monday signed cornerback Brent Grimes to the active, 53-man roster and signed defensive end Kevin Huntley to the practice squad. Grimes, 5-10, 180 pounds, was originally signed by the Falcons as an undrafted rookie free agent last season out of Shippensburg University. Huntley, 6-7, 270 pounds, was a member of the Oakland Raiders in 2006 and finished the season with 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Shippensburg? Yuck. Another Loser? What the heck is Arthur Blank thinking?
MIAMI--When the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts take the Dolphin Stadium field for the start of Super Bowl XLI, one member of the Falcons family will have more than a casual interest in the game. Falcons President and General Manager Rich McKay worked with Bears' Coach Lovie Smith, General Manager Jerry Angelo and Colts' Coach Tony Dungy during his time in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers' general manager. When the Bucs released Sam Wyche as head coach after the 1995 season, McKay went on an extensive search to find a new head coach and reverse the fortunes of the club. "We were a franchise with no credibility and we had not won in a while," McKay said about the situation the Bucs were in. "In that process, we took our time and interviewed eight, nine or ten guys."
As McKay worked through the candidates, Dungy, the Vikings' defensive coordinator, began to pique the interest of the Bucs' GM. "The interesting thing was that Tony, at the end of the first round, really of because of who he is and how he presents himself, absolutely had no sales pitch about himself," he said. "As we started narrowing down the list, I became more intrigued by the references we had on Tony and his resume. These two things screamed at the fact that he was going to be successful because he had been successful at everything he had ever done." McKay and his group realized that they needed to take a closer look and Dungy was hired as the Bucs' head coach on Jan. 22, 1996.
"He came in and interviewed with them and they became very comfortable," said McKay. The Bucs defense went from 20th the year prior to Dungy's and Smith's arrival to top ten ranks from 1997-2000. Smith left the next year for the St. Louis Rams as the club's defensive coordinator, where he stayed through 2003.
"Lovie Smith was the defensive backs coach at Ohio State in 1995 and before that with the University of Tennessee," McKay recalled. "We were trying to find a linebackers coach and we had compiled a list of the best college coaches out there from an assistant standpoint. Rod Marinelli had been on that list, and we ended up hiring him, and Lovie also had been on that list. The problem was Lovie had been coaching defensive backs and Tony and (defensive coordinator) Monte (Kiffin) were concerned about that." Those concerns were set aside when Smith interviewed for the position.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Ray Buchanan made headlines as a player the last time the Super Bowl came to South Florida, and he has drawn attention again merely by arriving at the airport. The former Atlanta Falcons cornerback was arrested Thursday on three counts of writing checks without sufficient funds from Nevada, a Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said. Buchanan was arrested at the airport around 9 a.m. when he arrived on an international flight. He posted a bond of $165,125.
The 35-year-old Buchanan was to work Sunday at the Super Bowl as a reporter for Fox Sports Radio. "At this point no one has contacted us. We're just going to plan to have someone else fulfill Ray's responsibilities until further notice," vice president and general manager of Fox Sports Radio Network Andrew Ashwood said. Buchanan's Super Bowl responsibilities were to start Saturday night, Ashwood said. Former Dallas lineman Nate Newton will handle his responsibilities Saturday night and former Raiders player Lincoln Kennedy will take over on Sunday, Ashwood said.
MIAMI -- Taking a different tact than his predecessor, Falcons coach Bobby Petrino will let Michael Vick take a more active role in running the offense. That includes allowing Vick to call audibles. Under previous coach Jim Mora, Vick basically had to go with whatever play was called by offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, even if it looked doomed when the quarterback got to the line and studied the defensive alignment. Vick's only options were changing the protection scheme and calling which side of the field to run the play.
Things will be different under Petrino, who was lured away from Louisville after Mora was fired. "We're going to put it all on him," the new coach said Friday while making the rounds at the Super Bowl media center. "It's new to him, but he's excited about the challenge. I think that's the way you train a quarterback."
'The switch from zone blocking will require getting rid of the team's smaller linemen and almost certainly adding a power back in the draft. GM Rich McKay has said that Warrick Dunn, currently rehabbing from shoulder surgery, will be retained, but his role for 2007 is in doubt.
Bobby Petrino is returning to the NFL as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Petrino's new appointment is effective immediately. The Falcons tabbed Louisville Head Coach Bobby Petrino as the club's 13th head coach on Sunday. One of the top offensive minds in the country, Petrino led the Cards to a four-year mark of 41-9.
According to ESPN Bobby Petrino accepted a five-year, $24 million offer from Atlanta. ESPN.com's Pat Forde first reported the hiring and contract details earlier Sunday night. Petrino said he was leaving for what "I truly feel is the best job in the National Football League." The Falcons moved quickly to replace Jim Mora, who was fired just two years after leading Atlanta to the NFC Championship Game. The Falcons missed the playoffs the past two years and posted a 7-9 mark this season.
Petrino was a coach in the NFL, spending two seasons (1999-2000) as the quarterbacks coach and a third (2001) as offensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars. During his tenure with the Jaguars, Petrino tutored Mark Brunell to his three best passing seasons in his illustrious career. Brunell threw for 3,640 yards in 2000, which was the second-highest total in team history, and 3,309 yards in Petrino's only term as the offensive coordinator with the Jaguars in 2001.
"This is an exciting day for the Atlanta Falcons franchise," said Falcons Owner and CEO Arthur Blank. "Bobby Petrino is an extremely talented football coach who has done some tremendously innovative things as both an offensive coordinator and head coach, and he brings to us a record of success at the collegiate and professional levels. There is no question that he has a sharp mind, he is demanding and disciplined, and he is a motivator and developer of players. In short, he's a difference maker who will bring a strong identity to the Falcons - one our team will buy into and take on as their own."
"First and foremost, I thank Arthur and Rich McKay for what I truly feel is the best job in the National Football League," Petrino said. "I am excited about the challenge that awaits me in Atlanta, and I'm equally excited about the potential that I see in this team. I look forward to getting to know the players.
The Falcons spent the past several days interviewing NFL assistants, including Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera, San Diego Charger Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron and San Francisco 49ers Assistant Head Coach Mike Singletary. But Blank, who was aided in the search by general manager Rich McKay, decided to go with an established head coach instead of following the same course he did in 2004.
The Falcons have scheduled a 2:00 pm (ET) press conference on Monday, January 8, at the team's training facility in Flowery Branch to introduce Petrino.
"But all this must be suffered by those who profess the stern order of chivalry" Most Interesting Blog, June 16, 2008 and six other occasions. Lisa awarded him Best "breaking news" blogger March 31, 2008. Blog of The Day, Christmas Day, 2007. edhardiman wrote, "Falco's tribute to Rocket Richard reminds us all the stars of today stand on the shoulders of giants..." October 23, 2007. Three Golden Swirrly p00p Awards (Hockey, NASCAR and Use of Graphics), FlyingPig, July 18, 2007. 2007 Memorial Day Weekend Trifecta sponsored by williamwilman . Featured on WFORacingFans April, 2007. "Stylin'" award, Dusty, February 07. "One of ten new bloggers to watch" Dudski, January 2007.
Petrino
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