Falcons fire head coach Arthur Smith after 3 straight losing seasons
ATLANTA - The jury is in, and Arthur Smith is out.
The Atlanta Falcons are parting ways with head coach Arthur Smith after a disappointing NFL season that saw the Dirty Birds finish with a losing record and once again fail to make the post-season.
Related: NFC South: Atlanta Falcons eliminated from playoffs
The Falcons made the announcement late Sunday evening. In a release, the team said that they will begin their search for their next head coach immediately, though there is no timetable for filling the role.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 31: Head coach Arthur Smith of the Atlanta Falcons looks on prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 31, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
"The Atlanta Falcons have dismissed Arthur Smith as the team’s head coach following a meeting tonight in Atlanta with Falcons Owner and Chairman, Arthur M. Blank, and the team’s CEO, Rich McKay," the Falcons announced in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
Smith's firing comes after the Falcons finished the 2023-2024 season at just 7-10, placing third in the NFC South. The team also failed to claim a playoff spot, having not made a post-season appearance since 2017, when they made it to the Super Bowl.
"With any job, you got a lot of confidence, but I am not going to give a state of the union right now on everything that's happened the last three years," Smith said in an interview directly after the game. "The season just ended. It wasn't the result we needed today, and clearly the second half got out of hand. Credit to New Orleans."
Hired in 2021 after serving as an assistant coach with the Tennessee Titans, Smith failed to produce a winning season in his three years with the Falcons.
In 2021 and 2022, the team also achieved a modest 7-10 record and placed third and fourth in the NFC South.
It's clear the new year will be one of rebuilding and rehiring for the Dirty Birds.