Raheem Morris finally got another crack at a head coach job when he was named head coach of the Atlanta Falcons over reported frontrunner Bill Belichick.
Mike Greenberg of ESPN’s “Get Up” team was on the Belichick to Atlanta bandwagon heavy, but Ryan Clark had his own take as to why Raheem Morris and his 24-38 record is better suited than a legend with six Super Bowl rings as a head coach.
“We don’t know if Bill Belichick can coach talent offensively without Tom Brady,” Clark said. “Do you believe, if you’re owner Arthur Blank, that you’d sit in a room and be wowed by Bill Belichick’s personality? And think that that personality works with the kids that are part of the NIL generation of the transfer portal generation?”
“When you sit across from Raheem Morris with a smile on his face,” Clark continued, “with an understanding of how to relate to players … someone like Jalen Ramsey, who has been on three different teams says, ‘they got the right man.’”
Clark summed up: “People aren’t saying that about Bill Belichick. … Why are we rushing to get him? So you take the blandest, the most Wonder Bread of coaches and say we’re going to drop him in Atlanta, with that team and those young players and think it’s going to work? The more they talked to him, the more they realized it wasn’t his job.”
The task of taking the Dirty Birds back to the big time is now Morris’. The 47-year-old coach, who succeeded Brandon Staley as Rams defensive coordinator in 2021, interviewed with the Falcons, Chargers, Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks this offseason.
Maybe Clark has a point. Belichick is just 1 of 5 coaches in NFL history to coach a game in their 70s, as he turns 72 on April 16th.
Don’t Get It Twisted, Raheem Morris Can Coach
Morris has previous head-coaching experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009-201, winning 10 games in his second season. He’s also been interim coach of the Falcons for 11 games in 2020.
“Raheem has a charisma, presence, and ability to communicate and connect with players and coaches that’s truly unmatched,” Rams coach Sean McVay said in a statement. “He epitomizes great leadership through the ways he elevates everyone around him and makes every environment he’s a part of better. Atlanta hired an incredibly special coach, but an even more exceptional person who will lead the right way.”
So maybe the NFL is changing. Black man with losing coaching record gets a second shot over NFL’s GOAT coach looking for one last hurrah. Or maybe Bill Belichick is a victim of age discrimination and Clark should be ashamed of his take. Could be bread discrimination or just free promo for Wonder. Either way, it’s a win for those Atlanta city boys.
Now all they need to do is settle on a quarterback, and Michael Vick isn’t walking through those doors.
