Atlanta Falcons Announce New Head Coach

The Brass Speak

In a statement, the team's top brass plus Stefanski weighed in on the hire.

"We're thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness and active collaboration with every area of the football operation," Falcons president of football Matt Ryan said in a statement. "Coach Stefanski is a team-first leader who puts a premium on accountability for everyone and a player-driven culture. His experience in Cleveland and Minnesota has given him a great understanding of the importance of working in sync with scouting, personnel and the rest of the football staff to maximize talent across the roster and in doing everything possible to put our players in the best position to succeed. Kevin's style of leadership, combined with the staff and infrastructure in place here in Atlanta, gives us confidence in our shared vision for the team and we are excited to have him as the leader of our football team."

"In Kevin Stefanski, we have found a coach with the right vision, focus and demeanor to lead our team into the future. From all our research and a wonderful visit with him tonight, I believe he is the right coach to take the talent on our roster to a new level and to work with Matt, our new GM and all our football personnel to build on the strong foundation in place and take it to new heights. He has a great plan for his staff, and he's learned many things during his stops in Cleveland and Minnesota that have prepared him for this moment. Our objective is to win games and contend for championships every year and that is where our shared focus will remain. We are committed to putting all necessary support and resources around Coach Stefanski to achieve that success and the work has already begun," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in the announcement.

"I'm beyond thrilled to be charged with leading this iconic franchise," Stefanski said. "I am grateful to Mr. Blank and Matt Ryan for trusting me to coach this football team and there are many talented players on our roster that I cannot wait to coach. We share a vision for this football team that I believe will make Falcons fans everywhere proud. We will get to work immediately putting together a first-class coaching staff and working hard to get to know all the great people that are so important to getting us all where we want to go."

Stefanski made his bones as a longtime assistant for the Minnesota Vikings , with his final two years in Minnesota spent with quarterback Kirk Cousins. As it so happens, Cousins is still with the Falcons and is almost assured of being on the roster in 2026 unless they find a trade partner for him.

But even if Falcons didn't have Cousins, Stefanski has cemented himself as a "quarterback whisperer" who can get the very best out of any quarterback. With Michael Penix Jr. still viewed as the future of the franchise, having someone who can develop him in a division ripe for the taking is worth its weight in gold.

Will Stefanski lead the Falcons back to the playoffs in Year One?