Falcons named Raheem Morris interim head coach

The Atlanta Falcons have named veteran coach with 18 years of NFL coaching experience on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, Raheem Morris interim head coach, the team announced Monday.

Morris is in his sixth season with the Falcons and his first as the defensive coordinator. He joined the Falcons after spending three seasons as the defensive backs coach for the Washington Football Team. Morris also spent three seasons as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-2011. He was the league’s youngest head coach in 2009 and in 2010, his team finished with a 10-6 record.

“Raheem is a strong leader and a talented coach that has adapted to a variety of roles since joining the Falcons in 2015,” said Rich McKay, Falcons President and CEO. “He has experience as a head coach and has worked on both sides of the ball. We felt that combined with his connection to the players and coaching staff, which will be an important factor as we move forward in 2020, he was the right person to give this responsibility to.”

The Falcons (0-5) travel to Minnesota Sunday to face the Vikings (1-4).