Mike Smith is a head coach by example

After a disastrous 2007 season the Falcons franchise was in complete disarray. Their starting quarterback went to prison, their head coach walked out on them only leaving them a note, and you could see in the team that they were falling apart. Then came the 2008 season the Falcons hired Thomas Dimitroff as general manager, and one of his first hires was head coach Mike Smith. Smith’s previous job before becoming a head coach was the defensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Smith had a good background as he worked under some of the best coaches and knew what it took to win a championship, but there was criticism with the fact that he wasn’t a head coach before and Falcons fans felt that they needed somebody who has experience as a head coach. All Smith did in his first year is lead the Atlanta Falcons to an 11-5 record and to the playoffs.

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After the 2008 season Smith was named the NFL coach of the year that was well deserved and as a Falcons fan you could tell that Smith is the perfect guy to lead this team. Smith brought a certain factor to this team that was needed the way how things were falling out of control. He told the team that this is a process, and that they will improve each and every week. Smith has always been a straight up guy, he is not one to make excuses and he is a coach that will fight for his players. All he asks in return is that you play hard and that you play with discipline. That message has been loud and clear as the Falcons have been one of the most disciplined teams in the NFL since Smith arrived in 2008.

Now in year four Smith has had winning seasons in his first three years with the Falcons and the Falcons currently stand at 6-4 this year. He is quickly climbing up the record book ranks as far as head coaches in Atlanta Falcons history. Nobody knew who Mike Smith was when he was hired by the Falcons; even I didn’t know who he was. Now I can’t imagine him not being the head coach of the Falcons. He took this head coaching job knowing what he was getting himself into, and he didn’t try to be somebody that he wasn’t to the Falcons. He was honest from the beginning with the Falcons and for that the Falcons have expressed their happiness to have Mike Smith as their coach and I can’t argue with them.

By: Steven Virden
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer