Jan 18, 2026
3 min read
Stefanski becomes the 20th head coach in Falcons history and will report to president of football Matt Ryan.
ATLANTA - Two-time Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski was named head coach of the Atlanta Falcons today after meeting with Falcons management, including owner and chairman Arthur M. Blank, in Atlanta.
Stefanski comes to Atlanta after a long stint as Cleveland's head coach.Browns and is an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings. Stefanski, 43, replaces Raheem Morris, who was not retained beyond the 2025 season. He is the 20th head coach in Falcons history.and will report directly to Matt Ryan, the team's president of football.
"We are excited to have Kevin Stefanski as a leader who brings a clear vision to his staff, our team, and a strong focus on fundamentals, rigor and proactive collaboration with all areas of football operations," said Ryan.Provided, we will do everything we can to maximize the talent on this roster and put our players in the best leadership positions.The staff and infrastructure here in Atlanta gives us confidence in our overall vision for the team and we are excited to have him as the leader of our football team.
Stefanski was named AP Coach of the Year in 2020 after leading the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, their first playoff win since 1994, their best since 1994, and again in 2023 when the Browns made the playoffs and finished 11-6.Brown returned to Cleveland.It has made the playoffs three times since then, and two of the three come with Stefanski at the helm.During his tenure, his teams were consistently one of the league's best rushing units with three top-six finishes in average rushing yards per game.His overall record in Cleveland was 45–56.
"I am thrilled to be charged with leading this iconic franchise," Stefansky said."I am grateful to Mr Blank and Matt Ryan for trust me to coach the football team, and there are many talented players on our list that I couldn't wait to grow a false players everywhere proud.
Prior to his time in Cleveland, Stefanski spent 14 years on the Minnesota staff, rising from assistant head coach to offensive coordinator during that time, working under Brad Childress, Leslie Frazier and Mike Zimmer.
Prior to coaching, Stefanski played defensive back at the University of Pennsylvania from 2000-04, where he was a two-time All-Ivy League selection and was honored as the Quaker's Freshman of the Year.
Stefanski and his wife Michelle live in Philadelphia and have three children: Juliet, Will and Gabe.
Arthur M. Blank on Kevin Stefanski: "In Kevin Stefanski, we have found a coach with the right vision, focus and attitude to lead our team into the future. From all of our research and the wonderful meeting with him, I believe he is the right coach to take the talent on our roster to a new level and to work with Matt, our new GM and new guys in football, he has a new plan for his new staff and his new staff."Cleveland and learned a lot during his stop in Minnesota that has prepared him for this moment and our goal is to compete for a championship every year and we are committed to putting all the necessary support and resources around Coach Stefanski.
