Falcons hire Dean Pees as DC, Dave Ragone as OC

Field Level Media
22 Jan 2021, 10:19 GMT+10

The Atlanta Falcons lured Dean Pees out of retirement to be their new defensive coordinator and have hired Dave Ragone away from the Chicago Bears to be offensive coordinator, the team announced Thursday.

Pees, 71, retired a second time after the 2019 season in Tennessee, his second season as DC with the Titans. Ragone, 41, was the passing game coordinator for the Bears, though new head coach Arthur Smith will call the plays for the Falcons next season.

The Falcons on Thursday also announced Marquice Williams as special teams coordinator.

Pees, who was also DC in New England for four years (2006-09) and Baltimore (2012-17), inherits an awful defense that has finished in the bottom third in total defense the past three seasons. Pees first retired after the 2018 season in Baltimore but was lured back weeks later to the sidelines in Tennessee by Mike Vrabel, where he coached with Smith.

Pees is one of eight defensive coordinators to coach two different teams in a Super Bowl, according to ESPN. He won Super Bowls with both the Patriots and Ravens.

Ragone becomes an OC for the first time in his career. Ragone and Smith worked together in Tennessee from 2011-13.

Former Falcons defensive coordinator and interim head coach Raheem Morris was named the new Los Angeles Rams DC hours earlier on Thursday.

--Field Level Media

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