It did not take long for former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris to find another job.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Raheem Morris has agreed to become the new defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
Getty
The move comes after former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh took the head coaching job with the Tennessee Titans. Morris will now step in Saleh’s position in the Bay Area.
Kyle Shannahan and Raheem Morris are reportedly close friends.
“Morris and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan are close friends from previous coaching stops with Tampa Bay (2004-05), Washington (2012) and, the Atlanta Falcons in 2015-16.” Nick Wagoner wrote in an ESPN article. “This is the second year in a row in which the Niners had to wait out the head coaching carousel before landing their man. Last year, they waited for Saleh amid interest from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.”
Prior to taking the 49ers DC job, Morris was a finalist for the head coach position with the Arizona Cardinals. That position would then be taken by former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.
Raheem Morris’ Stint With the Atlanta Falcons
Raheem Morris spent the past two years as the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach. The Atlanta Falcons hoped Raheem Morris would lead the Falcons back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
It never happened.
As a head coach, Raheem Morris had a 16-18 record. The team had zero playoff appearances during his time as head coach.
2025 marked the eighth straight season outside of the playoffs and a sub-.500 regular-season record.
Though having talented rosters, Morris was not able to get Atlanta where they wanted to be. As a result, owner Athur Blank fired Morris and GM Terry Fontenot due to his team’s underperformance.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” Blank said in a Sports Illustrated article. “The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one.”
“The results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits.”
Atlanta Has Revamped Their Front Office and Coaching Staff
After Morris’ firing, the Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski to be the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
Stefanski was fired as the Cleveland Browns head coach in 2025. After the Falcons hired Stefanski, they hired former Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Rees followed Stefanski after being the offensive coordinator for the Browns in 2025.
Kevin Stefanski announced Rees will be calling plays for the Atlanta Falcons in 2026. Both Stefanski and Rees called plays for the Cleveland Browns in 2025.
The Falcons announced the return of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich signing him to a three-year contract extension.
Following the firing of GM Terry Fontenot, the Falcons announced the hiring of new general manager Ian Cunningham. Cunningham previously served as the Chicago Bears assistant general manager.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Former Falcons Head Coach Becomes New 49ers DC appeared first on Heavy Sports.