Atlanta Falcons Take Defensive Turn in Head Coaching Search

With John Harbaugh officially off the board and Matt Ryan now influencing the process, the Atlanta Falcons’ head coaching search is entering a defining phase. 

The team has reportedly made several new requests this week, including former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce and Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Both of these candidates represent a noticeable push in the defensive direction, marking the seventh and eighth candidates that they have an interest in with this background. 

Minter, in particular, has been a candidate who has quickly turned into one of the hotter names in this cycle. The Falcons are the eighth team to put in a request for the Harbaugh (both Jim and John) disciple, and it is for a good reason. 

He took over a struggling Chargers defense that was near the bottom of the NFL in production and turned it into a top unit under his watch. They finished 28th in scoring and 24th in total defense before Minter arrived, and have since elevated to 1st and 11th in 2024 and 9th and 5th in 2025. The Chargers' defense held opponents to 20 points or fewer in 10 of their last 11 games, and they were a fast and physical unit that was effective at creating havoc.  

It is no surprise that Minter is considered a rising star, and it appears that he could have his shot as a head coach in short order. 

Pierce, meanwhile, could be considered a long shot for the position. He has the distinct ability to connect with his players in Las Vegas while he was the interim head coach, and that performance helped him land the full-time role with the Raiders in 2024.

However, a 4-13 campaign that season led the franchise to quickly move on, but after Pete Carroll led them to a worse record in 2025, his season might be viewed in a different light. 

He also has a relationship with Matt Ryan from their shared time at CBS, and would theoretically bring the mentality that he says the future coach of this team would need. 

“I think there's got to be a level of presence that you have to have as a coach and the ability to command respect of your players,” Ryan said Tuesday. “You've got to be able to connect with the players that you have.” 

Pierce had already interviewed with the Giants before they made their aggressive push towards Harbaugh, and he is expected to meet with the Falcons later this week. If the Falcons settled on the former Raiders coach, it would certainly qualify as a surprise. 

A full track record of who the Falcons have spoken with over the last week, and going forward, can be found here. This list will continue to evolve, so make sure to check back in to stay up to date on everything the Falcons have going on during this search. 

With Ryan now in place and John Harbaugh officially off the market, the Falcons are set to move forward with several exciting candidates to lead the franchise into 2026 and beyond.