SB Nation Atlanta - Bob Bratkowski Will Replace Bill Musgrave As Falcons QB Coach

Bob Bratkowski To Become Atlanta Falcons QB Coach, Replacing Bill Musgrave

2011-02-13T02:42:37Z

Bob Bratkowski, son of Georgia Bulldogs All-American QB Zeke Bratkowski, has agreed to join the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff as the new quarterbacks coach, the team announced via Twitter. Bratkowski was previously the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator from 2001 to 2010 until being fired two weeks ago.

He guided Cincy to several of its best offensive seasons ever, though his past three years with the Bengals were less than impressive. Injuries could be blamed for some of that decline, as could the fact that we’re talking about the Cincinnati Bengals. Still, remember when Carson Palmer was awesome?

Bratkowski has also worked on the staffs of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks, including a four-year stint as Seattle’s offensive coordinator under Dennis Erickson in the ‘90s. In Seattle, his offenses ranked in the league’s top 10 twice. He was also Erickson’s Miami Hurricanes OC from 1989 to 1991, reaching the top 16 in the nation all three years.

He’s never held a quarterbacks coach position before.

Mike Mularkey To Stay With Falcons, Titans Expected To Name Mike Munchak Head Coach

2011-02-07T16:32:44Z

Mike Mularkey will be returning to the Atlanta Falcons as offensive coordinator for his third season, according to a report from The Tennessean's Jim Wyatt. Wyatt said the Titans reviewed the candidates (which also included Perry Fewell and Mike Heimerdinger) but are expected to promote offensive line coach Mike Muchak to replace Jeff Fisher as early as today.

Mularkey became a popular candidate after orchestrating a Falcons' offense that finished fifth in the league in points scored and established Roddy White as one of the game's best receivers. Mularkey had previously been head coach of the Buffalo Bills in 2004 and 2005 but his 14-18 combined record wasn't deemed good enough to give him a third season.

This is good news for a Falcons team that had already lost their quarterbacks coach, Bill Musgrave, to the Minnesota Vikings. With Mularkey back for another season, the offense should be able to maintain the kind of consistency championship teams need from year to year.

Mike Mularkey Will Interview For Tennessee Titans Head Coaching Job On Friday

2011-02-04T04:40:11Z

The news that the Tennessee Titans had been given permission to interview Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey for the head coaching job broke earlier this week. Now we know that interview will take place on Friday.

Pro Football Talk via The Tennesseean is quick to point out that all indications are the Titans will hire from within and the Mularkey interview is simply a formality. Of course, longshots have been hired before with an impressive interview so it's best to wait until the Titans make an official announcement before throwing your "Welcome Back to Atlanta, Mike" party.

Mularkey was a candidate for the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos head coaching jobs in January (though he withdrew his name with the Broncos) and has a career 14-18 record as head coach of the Buffalo Bills in 2004 and 2005.

The Falcons have already lost their quarterback coach Bill Musgrave to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason.

Mike Mularkey, Jim Mora, Jr. (Not Gregg Williams) Among Titans Coaching Candidates

2011-02-02T22:36:16Z

You know that part in every scary movie when the star hears a strange sound and slowly creeps towards the closet door? The music increases in intensity with every step. Your heart is in your throat as they reach for the handle and THROW OPEN THE DOOR! The music cresendos and everybody jumps. Nothing. The closet is empty. The scare is over. Then out of nowhere, THE KILLER IS UNDER THE BED! This is called the secondary scare and it's what just happened to the Atlanta Falcons with the news that Mike Mularkey has been granted permission to interview for the Tennessee Titans head coaching job.

The Falcons thought they dodged a bullet when the two jobs Mularkey was a candidate for (Broncos and Browns) both filled their vacancies before the Falcons playoff run had ended. Even when Bill Musgrave signed on as the Vikings offensive coordinator the Falcons at least had Mularkey to keep the offensive coaching staff from complete disarray but disarray could be right around the corner if Mularkey wows the brass in Tennessee.

Of course, he'll have some competition. The Tennsseean reports former Falcons head coach and Mike Vick interviewer extraordinaire, Jim Mora Jr. has shown interest while Adam Schefter said current Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams are also interested in coaching Chris Johnson in 2011. Later, Schefter said Williams withdrew his name from consideration because of his loyalty to Jeff Fisher and the Saints.

However it shakes out, I'm sure one Matt Ryan is following the news closely as he's already lost his quarterbacks coach and may be facing next season with a new offensive coordinator.

Mike Mularkey To Interview With Tennessee Titans For Head Coaching Job, According To Report

2011-02-02T18:07:00Z

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is the subject of an interview request by the Tennessee Titans, according to Chris Mortensen. The Falcons approved Tennessee’s request, though no word on when or if Mularkey will interview.

The Titans recently fired longtime coach Jeff Fisher after 17 seasons. A handful of names have been mentioned, including Mike Munchak, Mike Heimerdinger, and Ray Sherman.

Mularkey has been a hot coaching prospect since the regular season ended, turning down an interview with the Broncos before interviewing with the Browns, both during the playoffs. Anyone looking for a head coach over the weekend surely caught Mularkey’s players dominating the Pro Bowl, as Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez, and Ovie Mughelli all scored touchdowns.

Mularkey to Tennessee would mean the Falcons would need to rebuild half their coaching staff minus the one coach who weathered the previous overhaul, Bill Musgrave. The former Falcons assistant accepted a job as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator a couple weeks ago.

Jim Zorn Fired As Baltimore Ravens QB Coach; Hey, The Falcons Need A QB Coach

2011-01-28T00:34:54Z

Jim Zorn was fired today by the Baltimore Ravens after one year as the team’s quarterbacks coach. You may remember him from his previous role as the overmanned Washington Redskins head coach, or coaching stops at Seattle or Detroit, his college coaching days (including pre-Boise State Boise State), or his journeyman NFL career.

However you know Jim Zorn, you also know this: the Atlanta Falcons need a quarterbacks coach. Bill Musgrave has moved along, taking the Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator job. While it would not be thrilling to take on a coach who’d just been fired from the same position, he is, in fact, a potential option. (Is “potential option” redundant? It seems redundant.)

The Ravens offense never got off the ground this season despite adding Anquan Boldin, but it’s hard to say how much of that can be pinned on Zorn. Ravens QB Joe Flacco had the best year of his career virtually across the board, posting career bests in yards per attempt, touchdowns, interceptions, and yards, and falling just a hair short of his personal best completion percentage.

Could Zorn be a scapegoat for Baltimore’s mediocre offense?

Bill Musgrave To Be Minnesota Vikings Offensive Coordinator, According To Other Report

2011-01-19T22:32:28Z

Update: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's D. Orlando Ledbetter reports Bill Musgrave is the new Vikings OC.

Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach has agreed to become the next Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator, according to Chris Mortensen. This sharply contradicts a report by Jason La Canfora that Musgrave was headed to the Cleveland Browns, so it’s hard to know what to believe right now.

Mortensen says Musgrave was “pursued heavily” by the Browns, but that the Browns couldn’t top the Vikings.

If he’s off to Minnesota, Musgrave will have one of the NFL’s most intriguing quarterback situations to oversee. Minus Brett Favre, the Vikings depth chart is reduced to Joe Webb and Tarvaris Jackson, and there’s always the possibility of the team drafting a passer. Still it’ll be interesting to see what Musgrave can do with Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Adrian Peterson after spending time around Roddy White, Harry Douglas, and Jason Snelling.

Musgrave would report to Leslie Frazier, who’s beginning his first year as full-time head coach, on a staff that includes former San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary.

Bill Musgrave Expected To Be Named Cleveland Browns Offensive Coordinator

2011-01-19T21:35:57Z

Update: Make that the Minnesota Vikings, according to Chris Mortensen.

Change is afoot among the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff. And no, it's not who you think. Bill Musgrave is expected to be named offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, according to a report by Jason La Canfora. Musgrave served as quarterbacks coach for the Falcons since 2006 before being promoted to assistant head coach this past season. He'd previously been linked to the Minnesota Vikings coordinator position.

A change in the Falcons' coaching ranks was expected this offseason but the money was on Mike Mularkey leaving. Mularkey, the Falcons offensive coordinator since 2008, interviewed for the head coaching job in Cleveland but the team chose to go with former St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur instead.

Musgrave, who was the favorite for the Falcons coordinator job had Mularkey left, takes over an offense that ranked 29th in the league in 2010 but is only four years removed from a Top 10 offense and includes several talented pieces. Quarterback Colt McCoy, the Browns third round pick last season, will benefit from the tutelage of Musgrave and Peyton Hillis is a 24-year old wrecking ball who finished sixth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage in 2010.

In Musgrave's previous stops as coordinator he has had mixed success. In 2000, he orchestrated a Carolina Panthers offense that finished 20th in the league. Then, after a two-year hiatus at the University of Virgina, Musgrave returned to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to the 12th-best offense in the NFL. The following season, his offense ranked 21st.

How much of Matt Ryan's success was dependent on Musgrave or Mularkey is up for debate but 2011 will be a telling season now that Musgrave will be calling the plays for another young quarterback.