Why new Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski believes he'll be a 'skillful sailor' after experiences with Browns

Roughly two weeks after the Cleveland Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski, the Atlanta Falcons hired him as their new head coach. 

During his introductory Falcons news conference on Tuesday, Stefanski shared why he believes his experiences with the Browns will help him have success with Atlanta. 

Kevin Stefanski is no stranger to tough times

"I would tell you I have learned from all of my seasons in this game of football," Stefanski explained, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic. "There’s a saying I love: 'Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.' Some of those tough moments are going to make us better. (In) this career and this business, sometimes you have to navigate tough times." 

Stefanski accepted the Cleveland gig back in January 2020. He and quarterback Baker Mayfield, the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, then helped the Browns reach the playoffs and notch a postseason win in Stefanski's first year on the job. While Stefanski ultimately earned NFL Coach of the Year Award honors twice during his Cleveland tenure, the Browns more recently went 8-26 from Week 1 of the 2024 season through the 2025 campaign. 

"I know this," Stefanski continued. "You’re going to get the best version of me. You’re also going to get somebody who is going to get better every day. We are going to put our heads down, and we are going to work." 

How Kevin Stefanski will work with Matt Ryan, new Falcons GM

Earlier in January, the Falcons named franchise icon and retired quarterback Matt Ryan as their new president of football. According to Kendall, Stefanski "has been sitting in on the team’s interviews with general manager candidates and will be part of the in-person interviews that are planned this week." On Tuesday, Stefanski discussed the relationships he hopes to have with Ryan and with the to-be-hired GM. 

"It’s my job to tell them the fit of the player," Stefanski said. "I’m a partner. I want to collaborate and give them my opinion, but I trust the people in those types of positions to get the players." 

It's still unclear how much Stefanski is to blame for the disaster that has been the Browns' signing of quarterback Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract as part of acquiring Watson from the Houston Texans in March 2022. Regardless, Stefanski now will look to be involved in better decisions made by a Falcons regime looking to take the franchise back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season.