“Black Monday,” coined as the day when NFL teams fire coaches a day after the regular season ends, got an early start with the termination of Atlanta Falcons’ head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot just hours after the team finished the season on a four-game winning streak on Jan. 4.
The Falcons announced the personnel move after the team’s 19-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The team finished 8-9 (the Falcons had the same record last season), missing the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. The franchise’s previous playoff appearance was in the 2017-2018 season.
After both men met with the Falcons’ Owner and Chairman Arthur M. Blank, they were informed that their employment with the team had ended.
Blank issued a written statement after the terminations.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” said Blank.
“The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits.”Fontenot joined the franchise in 2021 and named Morris the head coach after the 2023 season. In the 2020 season,
Morris served as interim head coach for 11 games, with a 4-7 record. As head coach over the past two seasons, he posted a 16-18 record, bringing his overall head-coach record to 20-35. Meanwhile, over five seasons as general manager, Fontenot’s record stood at 37-48. The Falcons did not make the playoffs with both men at the helm.The New York Post reported that Morris, a New Jersey native, started his coaching career at Hofstra University before getting the opportunity to join the Falcons staff.
The team stated that ZRG Partners will assist with the search for the next head coach, while Sportsology Group will take on the search for a general manager.
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