What Matt Ryan wants in Falcons' next head coach amid pursuit of John Harbaugh

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank hit a figurative reset button when he fired former head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot shortly after the club's 2025 season wrapped up. 

Blank later named franchise icon and retired quarterback Matt Ryan as the Falcons' new president of football. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Ryan revealed that "character," "emotional stability" and "presence" will be key factors in his search for the club's next head coach.

Matt Ryan wants Falcons' coach "to command the respect of your players" 

"You have to be able to command the respect of your players," Ryan said about that to-be-hired coach, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic. "That doesn’t mean you’ve got to be the most vocal or the best in a press conference. It just means you have to be able to connect. I view it from the lens of what I always needed from coaches and from some of the best I’ve been around." 

On paper, former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh checks Ryan's boxes. Harbaugh held his previous job from 2008 through the 2025 regular season, guided the Ravens to a Super Bowl title, has 24 postseason games on his career head-coaching resume and built a reputation for being a "players-first" coach during his Baltimore tenure. 

Additionally, Harbaugh may want "authority over the roster" and at least some say in which general manager he will work with at his next NFL stop. Together, Ryan and Harbaugh could essentially run the show for the Falcons. 

For a piece updated early Wednesday morning, Ian O'Connor and Dianna Russini of The Athletic named the Falcons, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans as "the favorites" to land Harbaugh. Some within the Giants seem confident they will win the Harbaugh sweepstakes, perhaps before the workweek comes to an end. 

Matt Ryan won't target specific type of coach

Considering Ryan's background, some have assumed he will target head-coaching candidates with only an offensive background. On Tuesday, he poured cold water over that theory.

"You look at who’s the best person to get the most out of your football team," Ryan added about the Falcons' search for a head coach. "I’ve seen it work a lot of different ways. You are looking for someone who can bring people together." 

Harbaugh has a lengthy history of bringing locker rooms together. Whether or not Ryan can sell Harbaugh on the Falcons shall be seen.