Falcons Fire Offensive Coach after Disastrous Showing against Panthers

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – The Atlanta Falcons fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard on Monday, according to a release on the team’s website. Effective immediately, passing game coordinator T.J. Yates will assume his duties. 

Yates held this role on the staff from 2022 through 2023, but moved to coach quarterbacks in 2024 and then to his current role in 2025. Hilliard replaced Yates in the role in 2024. 

Hilliard joined the staff from Auburn, where he served as co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2022. Before that, he spent 10 seasons in the NFL, with stops in Pittsburgh, Washington, and Buffalo. 

In his first season with the team last year, Hilliard helped guide Drake London to his best season as a pro, with career highs in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,271), and receiving touchdowns (nine). He joined Roddy White (2010) and Terance Mathis (1994) as the third player in franchise history to record 100 receptions, 1,200 yards, and nine touchdowns in a single season. 

Additionally, Hilliard coached free agent acquisitions Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud to some of their best seasons in the NFL. Mooney just missed his second career 1,000-yard season after missing his final regular-season game, but set a career high in touchdowns (five) and average yards per reception (15.5). McCloud set career highs in receptions (87) and yards (686) as the team’s third receiver. 

This move comes on the heels of a pair of poor passing performances. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is completing just 31-of-57 of his passes (54.4%) for 307 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. The offense has scored just one touchdown in its last two games. 

As a whole, the offense is 31st in scoring offense (14.0 PPG), 13th in total offense (338.7 YPG), 27th in EPA/play, 13th in EPA/rush, and 28th in EPA/pass.

“There are definitely ways to get him [Penix] going,” Morris said about his quarterback. “He has high standards for himself, so yesterday he got down on himself. Yesterday, he was not his normal, happy, competitive self. He got a little down on himself, got a little upset. 

“But it’s a lot of stress on a young quarterback, and we can help him do some of those things. Without a doubt, we’ll do those things going forward to help him out.”

The termination of Hilliard was not the only move the Falcons made on Monday. Earlier, head coach Raheem Morris announced that offensive coordinator Zac Robinson would move down to the sideline on Sundays. 

The Falcons are being aggressive in trying to work out their offensive issues.