The Atlanta Falcons conducted a second interview with former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Friday for their head-coaching vacancy and also interviewed Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Belichick first interviewed with the Falcons last Monday. Belichick won six Super Bowl titles — one by overcoming a 25-point deficit to beat the Falcons in overtime — in 24 seasons in New England before parting ways after the 2023 regular season.
Belichick, 71, ranks second in NFL history in head-coaching wins (regular season and playoffs) with 333. He trails only Don Shula’s 347 in that category while ranking third in regular-season wins (302), behind Shula (328) and George Halas (318).
The interview with Glenn took place virtually with the Lions scheduled to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC divisional round playoff game on Sunday.
Glenn, 51, is in his third season as Detroit’s defensive coordinator.
Glenn was a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback during a 15-year NFL playing career from 1994-2008. He intercepted 41 passes, returning six for touchdowns, while playing for the New York Jets (1994-2001), Houston Texans (2002-04), Dallas Cowboys (2005-06), Jacksonville Jaguars (2007) and New Orleans Saints (2008).
Atlanta has interviewed nine candidates for the post, including current Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who guided the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in the 2012 season as an NFL head coach.
The Falcons fired Arthur Smith after Atlanta finished the 2023 season with the same record — 7-10 — for the third consecutive season under Smith.
Ohio State hired Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator, freeing head coach Ryan Day to oversee the entire team with play-calling duties off of his plate.
O’Brien has a promising record working with quarterbacks, including Tom Brady during his first stint on the New England Patriots’ coaching staff more than a decade ago, and 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young at Alabama.
“He brings with him a wealth of knowledge — and a tremendous amount of success — at both the NFL and collegiate levels,” Day, a Manchester native, said in a statement. “He is an excellent and experienced offensive coach who has run NFL and Power 5 programs and developed some truly elite players throughout his career. He’ll be an excellent teacher and recruiter for us, and he absolutely strengthens our staff.”
O’Brien, 54, spent the 2023 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in New England, following two seasons in the same role on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama.
He was the head coach of the Houston Texans (2014-20) and Penn State (2012-13) after experience as an assistant coach at both the pro and college levels.
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