In a bizarre swap of coordinators for under-performing offenses, the Atlanta Falcons hired Jacksonville Jaguars OC Dirk Koetter to replace the departed Mike Mularkey, who took the Jags head coaching job earlier in the offseason.
Falcons Hire Dirk Koetter As Offensive Coordinator
The former Jacksonville Jaguars OC was a head coach at Boise State and Arizona State earlier in the decade.
Despite mortgaging much of their draft to acquire rookie WR Julio Jones of Alabama, the Falcons offense was completely ineffective in their 24-2 first-round loss to the New York Giants, pushing the team's playoff record to 0-3 with Matt Ryan under center.
Koetter’s offense in Jacksonville, meanwhile, was rated dead last in the NFL in the 2011 season.
The Falcons are clearly hoping that much of the blame lies for that lies on the shoulders of rookie QB Blaine Gabbert, who looked overmatched for most of the year.
The 52-year old Koetter made his mark in the college ranks, serving as the head coach for Boise State in the late 1990’s and beginning the program’s unlikely rise to national glory. After a five-year stint as the head coach at Arizona State, he took over as the Jaguars offensive coordinator in 2007.
He was also a candidate for the open OC job at Alabama, interviewing with Nick Saban last week.
For the latest news and notes on the Falcons off-season, head over to The Falcoholic.
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