Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff will return in their respective roles for the 2020 season, the team announced Friday.
Both Quinn and Dimitroff will report to Falcons president and CEO Rich McKay, with owner Arthur Blank retaining oversight of the football operations.
“Over the last two seasons our results on the field have not met our standard or the expectations of our fans,” Blank said in a statement. “I understand our fans’ disappointment and frustration because I’ve felt every bit of it as well. That said, our focus must be on giving our franchise the best opportunity to win next year and beyond. I have long believed that continuity in leadership is very important across all our businesses and the football team is no different in that regard.
“After weighing several factors, including our team’s statistical turnaround and our players’ focus and effort the second half of the season, I feel the decision to retain Thomas and Dan, with Rich providing close day-to-day oversight of the football operation, will provide the timeliest route for the Atlanta Falcons to return to contention in 2020 and beyond.”
Quinn has a career record of 42-37 through five seasons but sports a 23-24 mark since the Super Bowl LI loss to the New England Patriots.
McKay said that Quinn’s willingness to self-evaluate after the team’s 1-7 start this season is what pushed the proverbial ball in his favor.
“There aren’t many guys who could have come into the room as a head football coach this year, in a 1-7 setting, and reset the tone. Literally, reset the tone,” McKay told the team’s official website. “Took some ownership of why we were at 1-7 on himself, beyond just pointing to the players and saying, ‘It’s you.’ He turned the mirror to himself.”
The Falcons have posted a 5-2 record since that stretch heading into Sunday’s season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Not every coach gets to see their team fight for him,” Quinn said of Atlanta’s late-season surge.
Quinn, 49, also told reporters that he plans to learn from this season’s miscues.
“This has been the hardest and most invaluable year for me. … I’ve made mistakes and we get to fix them,” Quinn said.
Atlanta also announced Raheem Morris would be named defensive coordinator effective at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
Morris, the former Buccaneers coach, initially was the Falcons’ wide receivers coach before being shuffled to the other side of the ball to work with the secondary.
