As we hear more about training research from Atlanta Falcons, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson shared some revealing rumors about his direction and the status of one of the main alleged candidates.
Wilson, a veteran league reporter who covers the Houston Texans for the Houston Chronicle and a former Baltimore Ravens beat writer, mentioned the Falcons in an interview for Houston’s radio show, The A-Team, with Wexler & Clanton.
Towards the end of the interview, Wilson was discussing Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as a potential candidate with Houston.
This explains why Texans haven’t yet interviewed Bieniemy to work with quarterback Deshaun Watson, considering the stellar CO work that made Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes the most valuable player in the league.
Wilson raised doubts about that team’s interest in Bieniemy and brought up his recent interview with the Falcons to explain why Bieniemy may not be as sought after as expected.
The interview vision
Wilson said two important and interesting notes about the search for the Atlanta head coach.
[The Falcons] I literally want to hire a black coach. They would love for him to destroy the interview. He did not crush the interview, and these teams are very concerned about these interviews.
Wilson says the problem is not due to anything in Bieniemy’s past or something unknown to fans; it’s just a matter of the teams not being interested.
“He is a good family man; he’s a nice guy, ”said Wilson. “He’s a good coach, but teams have the right to hire whoever they want.”
Wilson went on to say that he heard a very about the Titans’ offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, in connection with the Falcons. Wilson said the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, a Falcons candidate, did not give a good interview with the Detroit Lions.
Although Wilson is not a name we hear a lot from Falcons, he recently linked former Houston general manager Rick Smith to the Falcons, even going so far that he would bet someone dinner that Smith would be Atlanta’s next GM.
Wilson’s information is disappointing for Atlanta fans, hoping that Bieniemy could be the next head coach, although it is extremely encouraging to know that the organization is being intentional about diversity in the hiring process.
Wilson’s insight does not mean that Bieniemy is out of the running for the job, but it does raise questions about his candidacy. It is a reminder that we never know how the interviews go behind the scenes, however, Bieniemy is widely considered to be the main candidate in this off-season.
A diverse search
Falcons have repeatedly said they want a diversified search. So far, Falcons have interviewed or are scheduled to interview the following black candidates: Bieniemy, Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles, and Falcons acting coach Raheem Morris.
Other black candidates may include former Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods and former Chargers coach Anthony Lynn.
The Falcons interviewed several black candidates for the opening of GM: Rick Smith, executive of Saints. Terry Fontenot, the scout director at Rams College, Brad Holmes, the scout director at Colts College, Morocco Brown, and the team’s own Anthony Robinson.
Other black candidates were linked to the job, including former Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie, Bears asst. team director of players Champ Kelly and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick. ESPN reported last month that the Falcons were looking for several candidates for GM, and the list reflects that.
We will see what this report means for Falcons’ coaching search, although it highlights the organization’s focus on several candidates and why Bieniemy may not be at the forefront. Arthur Smith is a name we are monitoring, as he would fit the Falcons offensive staff perfectly and has a stellar job in Tennessee in his two seasons calling moves.
Wait for more news about Bieniemy’s candidacy and whether the Falcons organization will honor its quest to diversify the team’s leadership.