The Atlanta Falcons have found their head coach of the future. The NFC South team has hired Kevin Stefanski, who previously led the Cleveland Browns.
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Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year, met with the Falcons leadership on Saturday night. He sat down with team owner Arthur M. Blank and other important decision makers and secured an opportunity to become the 20th head coach in franchise history.
Stefanski, 43, will report directly to Matt Ryan, who took over as the team's president of football one week ago. He will take over for the fired Raheem Morris, who went 16-18 in two full seasons.
Stefanski rose to prominence as the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. The team went 10-6, finished second in the NFC North, and defeated the New Orleans Saints in the wild-card round. The team ultimately lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
The Vikings had the eighth-best scoring offense in the NFL in 2019 and the 16th-ranked offense in yards gained. Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 3,603 yards, 26 touchdowns, and six interceptions while running back Dalvin Cook rushed for 1,135 yards and 13 scores.
Stefanski moved to the Browns in 2020 and spent six seasons in the AFC North. He dealt with a constantly changing rotation of quarterbacks that included Baker Mayfield, Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, Jacoby Brissett, and multiple others.
Yet, he still led the team to the playoffs twice (2020, 2023). The Browns also defeated the rival Steelers in the wild-card round in 2020. The Browns had top-20 offenses in his first four seasons as head coach and top-20 defenses all six seasons. This includes 2021, 2023, and 2025 when the defense ranked fifth or better in yards allowed.
"We're thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness and active collaboration with every area of the football operation," Ryan said in a team release.
"Coach Stefanski is a team-first leader who puts a premium on accountability for everyone and a player-driven culture. His experience in Cleveland and Minnesota has given him a great understanding of the importance of working in sync with scouting, personnel and the rest of the football staff to maximize talent across the roster and in doing everything possible to put our players in the best position to succeed.
"Kevin's style of leadership, combined with the staff and infrastructure in place here in Atlanta, gives us confidence in our shared vision for the team and we are excited to have him as the leader of our football team."
With Stefanski taking over as head coach of the Falcons, he will have some talented players at his disposal, such as running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London.
The big question is under center. Second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. missed part of the 2025 season with a knee injury. Veteran Kirk Cousins just restructured his contract, which appeared to put him on the path to free agency in March. However, Cousins and Stefanski have produced together in the past, so they could potentially enjoy a reunion.
