The Falcons were one of 10 teams to hire a new head coach this offseason, resulting in a major overhaul of their entire staff. Reports of their hires trickled out through January and February with a full announcement in early March.
Running backs coach Michael Pitre and assistant offensive line coach Nick Jones were both retained for their third seasons in Atlanta. Pitre will continue working with Bijan Robinson, while Jones will ensure some continuity in the OL room.
Kevin Stefanski also added defensive quality control coach Troy Kruchten and defensive passing game coordinator Patrick Toney to his staff.
Kruchten is a former college linebacker who moved into coaching in 2024 as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida. He then joined Georgia State’s staff as an outside linebackers coach and was set for a promotion to assistant nickels/special teams coach before the Falcons came calling.
Toney spent the last three years in Arizona as their defensive backs coach after more than a decade in the college ranks primarily working with safeties. Budda Baker earned three straight Pro Bowls and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2024 under Toney, who will now work with a talented Falcons secondary that features A.J. Terrell, Jessie Bates, and Xavier Watts.
Atlanta made major changes in their front office, too. The latest is the hiring of Shawn Heinlen as the director of college scouting, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic. He will Tokunbo Abanikanda after his promotion to director of scouting. Heinlein spent the last four years as an area scout in Cleveland – where he looked for prospects that fit Stefanski’s scheme – and also overlapped with new Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham in Philadelphia.