The Atlanta Falcons will fire head coach Mike Smith at the conclusion of the regular season if the team doesn't manage to pull off a playoff run to change the mind of team owner Arthur Blank, according to a report from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
Falcons expected to fire Mike Smith, per report
Mike Smith will likely be fired at the conclusion of the 2014 season and could be replaced by Broncos’ offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
Smith, 55, is finishing up his seventh season as the head coach of the Falcons. His tenure in Atlanta began with trips to the postseason in four of his first five seasons, but after five straight winning seasons at the helm of the franchise, the Falcons finished with a losing record under Smith for the first time in 2013 and will finish under .500 again in 2014.
The Falcons aren't yet eliminated from the postseason and can secure the NFC South title with a pair of wins against the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers to close out the season. Still, even that might not be enough to save the job of Smith if it results only in a quick dismissal from the playoffs.
NFL playoff picture 2014
According to La Canfora, the Falcons are already doing due diligence on a few candidates who could replace Smith, including Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator Adam Gase. The 36-year-old coordinator previously coached with the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, and has been discussed as a head coaching candidate in the past. Gase pulled his name from the search for a new Cleveland Browns' coach in January.
Other candidates to replace Smith include New England Patriots' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw, according to La Canfora.
Entering Week 16, Smith has compiled a 65-45 record in the regular season and a 1-4 record in the postseason.
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