FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons' new head coach, Raheem Morris, hit the ground running and is in the process of building his 2024 staff.
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Morris was named the Falcons' 19th head coach in franchise history Thursday, Jan. 25. He then announced his coordinators — Zac Robinson with the offensive, Jimmy Lake with the defense and Marquice Williams with the special teams — this past Monday, Jan. 29.
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Now, Morris is filling out the rest of his organizational chart.
Below is a running tracker of the assistant coaches who have been officially hired by the Falcons for the 2024 season. This story will be updated.
JACQUIES SMITH
Hired announcement date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons outside linebackers coach
2023 title: University of Texas assistant edge coach
Background: Before joining the Falcons, Smith had accepted a job as the University of Nevada defensive ends coach for 2024. That changed. Smith spent the 2023 season with the Longhorns as an assistant coach with the same positional group, according to Nevada’s announcement on Dec. 26, 2023. Smith played as a defensive end in the NFL as recently as 2018. He was in the league for five seasons, spending time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions and then-Oakland Raiders. Smith originally did private training with top draft prospects after his playing career.
JOHN GRIFFIN
Hired announcement date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons director of player performance
2023 title: Los Angeles Rams associate director of strength and conditioning
Background: Griffin and Morris spent the last three seasons together with the Rams organization. Prior to joining the Rams first as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, Griffin worked in the college ranks, spending time with Baylor and South Carolina's strength departments.
PAUL CONSTANTINE
Hired announcement date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons associate director of strength and conditioning
2023 title: University of Alabama's director of applied science
Background: Constantine joins the Falcons after spending the last four seasons with the Crimson Tide. He was originally hired onto Nick Saban's staff in 2020 before taking over in a director role in 2022 when Matt Rhea left for the New Orleans Saints. According to AL.com’s Matt Stahl, Constantine led the strength and conditioning program alongside David Ballou, who is Alabama's director of sports performance.
JOSH NELSON
Hired announcement date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons director of performance science
2023 title: Assistant athletic director for applied health and performance science at Penn State University
Background: At Penn State, Nelson led areas of sports science and education, "working to connect all areas of the university community including athletics, academics and key stakeholders in global sports science," according to the university’s website. Nelson also spent time with Baylor University as the director of applied performance and operations.
ROB DODONA
Hired announcement date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons manager of coaching operations
2023 title: New York Jets assistant to the head coach
Background: Dodona began his NFL career in 2019 with the New York Jets. He started as a football operations assistant for two years. In 2021, he became the assistant to the head coach, a title he held for three seasons.
ERIK JERNSTROM
Hired announcement date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons assistant director of strength and conditioning
2023 title: Director of sports performance at Eforce Sport
Background: Along with his work with Eforce Sport for the last eight years in the Portland, Oregon area, Jernstrom was also an adjunct professor at Linfield University since 2021.
SHAWN FLAHERTY
Hired announcement date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
2024 title: Retained with 2023 title
2023 title: Atlanta Falcons assistant offensive line coach
Background: After retaining Dwayne Ledford as the Falcons' offensive line coach, Morris retains Ledford's assistant position coach, too. Flaherty has been with the Falcons in some capacity since 2022. He spent the 2022 season as a football analyst before being named assistant offensive line coach in 2023. Flaherty originally came to Atlanta after three seasons with the Miami Dolphins. Prior to that, Flaherty and Ledford first met in 2017 when Flaherty spent two seasons as a graduate assistant for North Carolina State University, where Ledford coached the offensive line from 2016-18.
D.J. WILLIAMS
Hired announcement date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks coach
2023 title: New Orleans Saints offensive assistant
Background: Williams has spent the last five seasons with the Saints organization as an offensive assistant. He is the son of Washington Commanders executive and former starting quarterback Doug Williams. According to the Saints official team website, D.J. Williams participated in the NFL/Black College Football Hall of Fame Coaching Summit from 2019-21 and again in 2023. He was the quarterbacks coach for the National Team at the 2023 Senior Bowl.
PATRICK KRAMER
Hired announcement date: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
2024 title: Retained with 2023 title
2023 title: Atlanta Falcons offensive assistant
Background: Kramer has been a part of the Falcons staff since 2021 when he came on as a football analyst. He has been an offensive assistant since Feb. 2023. Prior to joining the Atlanta staff, Kramer was a senior offensive assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame for three seasons (2018-20), and a lone season with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2017 as an offensive quality control coach and assistant quarterbacks coach. He started coaching with John Carroll University in 2016 as his alma mater's wide receivers coach.
JUSTIN HOOD
Hired announcement date: Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons secondary coach
2023 title: Green Bay Packers defensive quality control coach
Background: Hood's first, and only, full-time NFL coaching experience has come with the Packers so far, beginning his tenure in 2021 as the defensive quality control coach and maintaining that role through this past season. In 2013, he was the New York Giants' Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship intern, assisting with coaching the running backs and managing the scout special teams. Prior to Green Bay, Hood worked for Kent State University as the secondary coach and defensive pass-game coordinator. He had a variety of collegiate experience before that, including stops at Davidson College, Western Carolina University, Capital University and the University of Illinois. His first-ever coaching job came at the University of Oregon as a recruiting administrative assistant in 2010.
JOHN TIMU
Hire announcement date: Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons defensive assistant
2023 title: Los Angeles Chargers assistant defensive line coach
Background: Timu spent three seasons with the Chargers on the defensive coaching staff. He served as a defensive assistant for two seasons before focusing on the defensive line in 2023 as an assistant. Timu started his coaching career at the University of Washington, his alma mater, for two seasons (2019-20). Before Timu began coaching, he played three seasons in the NFL (2015-17) with the Chicago Bears.
LANCE SCHULTERS
Hire announcement date: Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons defensive assistant
2023 title: Schulters did not coach anywhere in 2023, his most recent stop was with the Los Angeles Rams as a defensive assistant in 2022.
Background: Schulters' NFL coaching genesis began with the Falcons in 2015 as a special teams intern. He spent two seasons at the position until he later returned to the team in 2020. Schulters transitioned to the defensive side of the ball as a defensive assistant under current Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who took the defensive coordinator reins that season. Schulters joined Morris with the Rams in 2021 as a coaching fellow and spent another season as a defensive assistant the next year.
TIM BERBENICH
Hire announcement date: Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons pass-game specialist/game management
2023 title: Los Angeles Rams coaching analyst
Background: Berbenich has coached in the NFL since 2003, when he was a New York Jets offensive assistant. He has generally worked at that level, with a few stops as an assistant position coach. He was the Las Vegas Raiders running backs coach in 2021 before moving to the Houston Texans the next season to coach their tight ends. He then joined the Rams in 2023. Berbenich also worked two different jobs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was there for a second time, including when Morris was Buccaneers head coach from 2009-11.
K.J. BLACK
Hire announcement date: Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons offensive assistant
2023 title: Los Angeles Rams offensive assistant
Background: Black joins Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and company from the Rams coaching tree. He spent one season in Los Angeles as an offensive assistant, specifically working with quarterbacks alongside Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who held the Rams quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator title. Before coaching in the league, Black served worked at Florida A&M University (2019-21) and Prairie View A&M University (2013-18). Black played quarterback at Western Kentucky University and Prairie View A&M, earning SWAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2009.
KEN ZAMPESE
Hire announcement date: Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons senior offensive assistant
2023 title: Washington Commanders senior offensive advisor/game management
Background: Zampese comes from the Commanders, where he spent four seasons first as quarterbacks coach and then as a senior advisor for a single season with an emphasis in game management. The 56-year-old was an offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2016-17, following an extended run as Bengals quarterbacks coach (2003-15). Zampese has worked in the NFL since 1998, when he was a Green Bay Packers offensive assistant.
If the last name sounds familiar, that's because Ken's father, Ernie, spent 36 years as an NFL coach. Ernie Zampese was known as an offensive innovator, with productive stints as a coordinator with the then-San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots.
KEVIN KOGER
Hire announcement date: Friday, Feb. 2, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons tight ends coach
2023 title: Los Angeles Chargers tight ends coach
Background: Koger joined the NFL coaching ranks in 2019, where he spent two seasons as the Green Bay Packers offensive quality control coach. His last three years came with the Los Angeles Chargers, as their tight ends coach.
As a player, Koger was a highly touted prep tight end who played for the University of Michigan from 2008-11. He got into coaching after that, including two seasons with Michigan (2013-14) as a graduate assistant after a season at his former high school.
BARRETT RUUD
Hire announcement date: Friday, Feb. 2, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons inside linebackers coach
2023 title: Ruud did not coach anywhere in 2023. His last coaching job was with his alma mater, the University of Nebraska, from 2018-22 as the Cornhuskers' inside linebackers coach.
Background: As a player, Ruud was one of the best linebackers in Nebraska history, finishing his career with a school record 432 career tackles. He was drafted in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he spent six seasons. For a time, he even played for then-Tampa Bay head coach (and now-Atlanta Falcons head coach) Raheem Morris. After the 2010 season, Ruud spent time with the Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans organizations before playing his final NFL season in 2012.
As a coach, Ruud was the Nebraska inside linebackers coach from 2018-22. According to the Cornhuskers official team website, in Ruud's first reason on Nebraska's coaching staff, he helped the defense improve 27 spots on the national stage in scoring defense and 61 spots in pass efficiency defense. In 2018, linebacker Mohamed Barry led the team with 112 tackles, which was the most by a Cornhuskers linebacker since All-American Lavonte Dave had 133 in 2011. By 2021, the Nebraska defense was allowing 22.7 points per game, which was the best mark by a Nebraska defense in 11 seasons. Ruud got his start in coaching with Nebraska in 2014 as a defensive intern. He then spent the 2016-17 seasons with University of Central Florida as a quality control administrator and was a part of the 13-0 Knights coaching staff in 2017. He returned to Nebraska the next year.
NICK JONES
Hire announcement date: Friday, Feb. 2, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons assistant offensive line coach
2023 title: Los Angeles Rams offensive assistant
Background: Jones, like Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, spent time in Atlanta and most recently with the Rams. Jones spent the last three seasons (2021-23) as an offensive assistant. He started with the Falcons in 2020 working with their offensive line through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. Jones worked with three of the five current offensive linemen during his time in Atlanta — Chris Lindstrom, Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary. Before moving to the pros, Jones spent a decade coaching collegiate football on the offensive side of the ball. The University of Georgia product started his coaching career as a Bulldogs offensive graduate assistant from 2010-11.
STEVEN KING
Hire announcement date: Friday, Feb. 2, 2024
2024 title: Retained but moved to assistant special teams coach
2023 title: Atlanta Falcons offensive assistant
Background: King got his foot into the door with the Falcons as their diversity coaching fellow/special teams in 2022. Then in 2023, he was named an offensive assistant. And now, he taps into his special teams background again. Before Atlanta, King worked for the University of North Carolina, where he spent three seasons as their special teams quality control coach from 2019-21. He also has Bucknell University, University of Nevada, Wagner College, Nassau Community College and East Meadow (N.Y.) High School on his coaching resume, which dates back to 2007. King was the then-Oakland Raiders' Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship member in 2017.
CHANDLER WHITMER
Hire announcement date: Friday, Feb. 2, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons pass game specialist
2023 title: Los Angeles Chargers offensive quality control coach
Background: Whitmer has spent the last three seasons with the Chargers holding the above title. According to the Chargers’ official team website, Whitmer was primarily charged with assisting the quarterbacks "in addition to weekly preparation and day-to-day operations for the offensive coaching staff." Prior to his coaching introduction into the league three seasons ago, Whitmer was an offensive graduate assistant at Clemson University. He, again, worked closely with quarterbacks and wide receivers, namely now-Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Whitmer also spent one season with Ohio State University as a graduate assistant.
As a player, Whitmer had 24 starts as the quarterback for the University of Connecticut. He finished his college career fourth in program history in career completions and passing yards.
IKE HILLIARD
Hire announcement date: Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons wide receivers coach
2023 title: Hilliard did not coach anywhere in 2023. His last coaching job was with Auburn University as the Tigers wide receivers coach in 2022. He was later promoted to interim co-offensive coordinator after then-head coach Bryan Harsin was let go.
Background: Many know Hilliard, the player, who was a consensus All-American wide receiver with the University of Florida in the mid-1990s. You'll find Hilliard's name in SEC record books alongside Chris Doering as the first wide receiver combination in conference history to have 1,000-plus receiving yards in the same season (1995). He was a part of three SEC championship teams with the Gators in 1994, '95 and '96, and one NCAA championship team in 1996. Hilliard was selected as the No. 7 overall pick in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He would go on to spend 12 seasons in the league, spending time with the New York Giants (the team that drafted him) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (where he first met Morris who was on staff for the Bucs at the time). Hilliard finished his professional career with more than 6,000 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns.
As a coach, Hilliard got his start in the league in 2011 as the assistant wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins. Over the next decade, Hilliard would be the wide receivers coach for the then-Washington Redskins (2012), Buffalo Bills (2013), the Redskins, again (2014-19), and the Pittsburgh Steelers (2020-21). Hilliards last job was with Auburn. He was hired in February. 2022 as the Tigers' wide receivers coach.
JERRY GRAY
Hire announcement date: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
2024 title: Retained with 2023 title
2023 title: Atlanta Falcons assistant head coach/defense
Background: Gray came to Atlanta with an elaborate NFL resume that included work with the Green Bay Packers (2020-22), Minnesota Vikings (2014-19), Tennessee Titans (second stint; 2011-13), Seattle Seahawks (2010), Washington (2006-09), Buffalo Bills (2001-05) and Titans (1997-2000). That's 26 years of professional experience. Now 27, when counting the Falcons in 2023. Highlights from his time include three years as the Titans defensive coordinator and five years as the Bills defensive coordinator. Gray's first-ever coaching job, though, actually came at the collegiate level, working with the secondary at Southern Methodist University from 1995-96.
T.J. Yates
Hire announcement date: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
2024 title: Retained but moved to quarterbacks coach
2023 title: Atlanta Falcons wide receivers coach
Background: Yates came to Atlanta first as a passing game specialist. He was promoted to wide receivers coach last season. This move to quarterbacks coach shouldn't come as a surprise, considering he played the position for the Falcons in 2014 and in general for seven years across three teams. Regardless, the Falcons aren't the only team for which Yates has coached. He was with the Houston Texans prior to Atlanta, from 2019-20 as an assistant quarterbacks coach. So, that makes this move make even more sense.
DWAYNE LEDFORD
Hire announcement date: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
2024 title: Retained but named to run game coordinator/offensive line
2023 title: Atlanta Falcons offensive line coach
Background: Ledford was the Falcons offensive line coach since he joined the organization three seasons ago, but he's taking on more responsibilities in 2024. For good reason, too. The Falcons' run game was No. 9 in the NFL when it came to rushing yards per game in 2023 with 127, and then it was previously No. 3 in 2022 and No. 31 in 2021. Before coming to Atlanta, though, Ledford's coaching experience all came in the NCAA. He had stops at the University of Louisville, North Carolina State University, Appalachian State University, Gardner-Webb University, Tennessee State University and University of North Carolina — in that order, starting with the most recent. His first-ever coaching gig was in 2005, as a UNC strength and conditioning coach.
MICHAEL PITRE
Hire announcement date: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
2024 title: Retained with 2023 title
2023 title: Atlanta Falcons running backs coach
Background: Pitre continues to build his NFL resume and work with names like Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier (and maybe even Cordarelle Patterson, depending how free agency plays out) in Atlanta. He joined the Falcons in 2022 after a single season with the Chicago Bears as their running backs coach, and that 2021 season was his first full-time go as a coach at the professional level. He was otherwise a scouting intern for the New England Patriots in 2009 and a member of the Kansas City Chiefs' Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program in 2017. Most of Pitre's experience comes from the NCAA. He spent time at Oregon State University (2018-20), Montana State University (2014-17) and University of Colorado (2012-13). In total, either way, that's 12 years of college and NFL coaching.
JAY RODGERS
Hire announcement date: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons defensive line coach
2023 title: Los Angeles Chargers defensive run game coordinator/defensive line
Background: Rodgers had been with the Chargers since 2021, always holding the title of defensive run game coordinator but switching his additional responsibilities as the outside linebacker coach to the defensive line coach after his first year with the team. The Chargers went 5-12 last season. Prior to Los Angeles, Rodgers worked for the Chicago Bears from 2015-20 as their defensive line coach. He got his NFL coaching start with the Denver Broncos in 2009 and remained there until the move to Chicago. He began as a coaches assistant (2009-10), was upgraded to defensive quality control coach (2011) and then began his tenure as a defensive line coach (20012-14).
DAVE HUXTABLE
Hire announcement date: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
2024 title: Retained with 2023 title
2023 title: Atlanta Falcons senior defensive assistant
Background: Huxtable actually had no NFL coaching experience prior to joining the Falcons. He did, however, have an extensive career coaching at the NCAA level. Before he came to Atlanta, Huxtable was an analyst for the University of Alabama from 2021-22. In total, Huxtable has 40 seasons of collegiate coaching under his belt, and 18 of those seasons were as a defensive coordinator. His first-ever job came in 1982 as a graduate assistant at Iowa State University. Other programs he has worked for include but are not limited to: Georgia Tech, North Carolina State University, Oklahoma State University, the University of North Carolina, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Central Florida and the University of Texas.
STEVE SCARNECCHIA
Hire announcement date: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
2024 title: Atlanta Falcons chief of staff, coaching operations
2023 title: New York Jets chief of staff
Background: Scarnecchia spent the previous three seasons (2021-23) as chief of staff with the Jets. He has also already worked for the Falcons, along with the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots in some capacity. Scarnecchia was ultimately in Atlanta for six seasons. Scarnecchia was named the video coordinator for Syracuse in 2011, and later shifted to director of operations in 2013. According to Syracuse's official website, "Scarnecchia spent 10 years managing video operations at the college and professional levels. Scarnecchia's NFL experience includes serving as a video director and director of multimedia for several professional teams and Division I programs, as well as a season spent abroad in a similar role with the NFL Europe."
DONOVAN ELLISON
Hire announcement date: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
2024 title: Retained with 2023 title
2023 title: Atlanta Falcons coaching operations assistant
Background: Ellison has been retained with the Falcons after serving his first season as coaching operations assistant in 2023. He joined the organization in 2022 as a football analyst. Ellison officially got his NFL operations start with the Carolina Panthers in 2021.
