The Falcons are transitioning to a new era under coach Arthur Smith, who is now expected to fill his team with technical assistants who share his vision for the team.
As reported by D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Falcons will not retain offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter along with six technical assistants. Greg Knapp, Chad Walker, Tosh Lupoi, Mayur Chaudhari, Chris Morgan and Aden Durden will not be back in 2021.
Atlanta linebackers coach Durden in 2020 will join the Cowboys team as an assistant to Dan Quinn, who just took over as a defensive coordinator in Dallas.
These moves are not shocking, as any head coach would prefer to surround himself with assistants with similar ideas. Atlanta has been linked to several coordinators and assistants on both sides of the ball.
Considering how rare it is to retain assistant coaches, it is important to note that Smith himself survived through three different coaches while serving as an assistant in Tennessee.