The Atlanta Falcons have officially commenced their search for the 20th head coach in franchise history, with former Las Vegas Raiders boss Antonio Pierce among the first to interview for the vacancy.
The organization is entering a new era following the departure of Raheem Morris at the conclusion of the 2025 season. However, the most significant shift in Georgia is not just the vacancy on the sidelines, but the new-look leadership structure tasked with filling it.
Leading the search is the newly appointed Falcons President of Football, Matt Ryan. The legendary former quarterback has moved from the broadcast booth to the front office, heading a search committee that includes owner Arthur Blank and the expertise of ZRG Partners and Sportsology Group.
Arthur Blank has made it clear that this search will break from the Falcons' traditional hiring patterns. By appointing a President of Football first, the organization aims to create a streamlined hierarchy where the coach and general manager report to a single football-focused lead.
"Our search committee will be structured a little bit differently than it has been in the past," Blank said. "We're going to put heavy emphasis on hiring this president of football first. We want to get that person in their seat and have them lead the interviews for the head coach and general manager position going forward."
That person is Matt Ryan, and the "Matty Ice" era of management is already in full swing. The team confirmed on Thursday that they have officially completed an interview with Antonio Pierce. Pierce, who earned plaudits for his leadership of the Raiders, represents the high-energy, "player-first" archetype that could revitalize a Falcons locker room looking for a spark.
The search is governed by strict NFL protocols regarding the timing and format of interviews, particularly for candidates currently employed by playoff teams. The Falcons have committed to transparency throughout the process, promising to announce each interview as it is completed.
With Ryan at the helm of the committee, the focus remains on finding a successor to Morris who can maximize a roster that has shown flashes of brilliance but lacked the consistency to challenge for the NFC South title. Whether Pierce is the man to lead that charge, or if the Falcons look toward a coordinator from the league’s current elite, remains the defining question of the Atlanta off-season.
Pierce was the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders until the end of the 2024 season. He was the interim head coach the season prior.
Pierce began his NFL tenure as a linebackers coach with the Raiders from 2022-23. He kept that responsibility in 2023 before being named the interim head coach after Josh McDaniels was fired in November. The Raiders went 5-4 with Pierce at the temporary helm, and he was named the official head coach after the season's conclusion.
After starting his coaching career at Long Beach Poly High School, Pierce made the jump to the college ranks in 2018 as the linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator for Arizona State University before being promoted to defensive coordinator/assistant head coach in 2020.
Going undrafted in the 2001 NFL Draft, Piece was signed as a free agent with the then-Washington Redskins. He became one of Washington's starting inside linebackers in 2004, logging a career high 114 tackles, one forced fumble, one sack and two interceptions. He played his final five seasons with the New York Giants, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2006.
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