ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons conducted a virtual interview for their head coaching vacancy on Friday with Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, a former University of Georgia assistant.
Macdonald is the first candidate to interview with the Falcons, who fired Arthur Smith on Sunday night after his third consecutive 7-10 season in as many years leading the team.
The 36-year-old Macdonald took over as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator in 2022 after serving as the University of Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2021. He spent seven seasons as an assistant with the Ravens before his one year with the Wolverines.
The Ravens had the NFL’s sixth-ranked defense overall and the top-ranked defense in scoring average during the recently completed regular season. Baltimore has a first-round playoff bye this weekend as the top seed in the AFC.
Macdonald, a Georgia business school graduate, worked as a defensive assistant for the Bulldogs from 2011-13. The Roswell native earned his master’s degree from Georgia in 2013.
The Falcons’ list of possible candidates is believed to include Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Ravens assistant head coach Anthony Weaver.
It’s not known whether the Falcons will seek to interview former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Raheem Morris, the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator, could be on Atlanta’s list. He is both a former Falcons interim coach and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach.
Other possible candidates include San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
Beginning on Jan. 22, teams may hold in-person interviews with coaches whose teams are no longer in the playoffs.