Raheem Morris: ‘I don’t need to be the smartest person in the building’

One thing that drove Falcons fans crazy during Arthur Smith’s tenure as head coach was the feeling that he cared more about being the reason for the team’s success than he did about the team being successful.

Obviously, that’s not true, but Smith’s demeanor often gave fans the impression that he wasn’t open to criticism. When Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner offered some constructive feedback, Smith brushed his comments off like they were written by some Twitter troll.

Smith felt Desmond Ridder was ready to be the starting quarterback and despite his inexperience, the young QB was only allowed to play one drive in the preseason. That drive ended in an interception, which would be a sign of things to come.

This kind of arrogance is what eventually led the team to replace Smith with head coach Raheem Morris. The Falcons introduced Morris on Monday and the press conference had a drastically different tone than what fans grew accustomed to under Smith.

Morris has experience on both sides of the ball, but he believes in letting his coaches coach. “I don’t need to be the smartest person in the building,” Morris said during his introductory presser.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris: “I don’t need to be the smartest person in the building.” Emphasizes collaboration to create the best team he can.

— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) February 5, 2024

The Falcons head coach also said he wouldn’t micromanage his coordinators. Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake will call the defense and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will run the offense.

Morris will focus on running the team, which is what a head coach is supposed to do.

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