Falcons head coach candidate profile: Anthony Weaver

The Falcons search for a new head coach is in full swing, moving on from requests to actually interviewing candidates. They’ve already completed a half dozen of them so far and more are scheduled this week. This continues a series where I profile each candidate who has received an interview request, moving on to the Ravens assistant head coach, Anthony Weaver, who just completed his interview over the weekend.

If you’ve missed any other parts, follow the links below.

Falcons head coach candidate profile: Ben Johnson 
Falcons head coach candidate: Bobby Slowik

Falcons head coach candidate: Anthony Weaver

Weaver is unlike many of the Falcons head coach candidates; he’s not currently a coordinator.

He spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons as the Browns defensive line coach, a position he maintained for the next four seasons for the Texans. In his only season as a coordinator at the NFL level, Weaver led the Texans’ defense to a putrid 29 points allowed per game, ranking sixth-worst in the league.

Granted, talent was an issue with that Houston roster. Following the COVID season, Weaver moved on to Baltimore, where’s been for the last three seasons. He started as the defensive line and defensive run game coordinator and became the Ravens assistant head coach a season later, the position that he currently holds.

During his time in Baltimore, the Ravens defensive line has been absolutely dominant. In 2021, the unit ranked first in rushing yards allowed and then third in 2022. This season, the Ravens rank first in points allowed and sacks.

However, the most intriguing aspect of his resume has nothing to do with on-field success. The Falcons have landed on a defensive and offensive coordinator with their two latest hires, but some of the league’s best head coaches are just great leaders of men and CEO types — i.e., Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, etc.

Anthony Weaver may be next. The current Ravens assistant head coach is said to have had a major role in the club’s search for an offensive coordinator this past offseason, which ultimately led to Todd Monken.

It’s been a home run of a hire for Baltimore, and if Weaver truly did have a hand in hiring Monken, that bodes well for his chances of becoming a head coach because it’s an underrated aspect of successful head coaches.