Smith signs deal with Falcons
Arthur Smith signed a contract with the Atlanta Falcons to be their next coach, the team announced Saturday.
Smith, a former Tennessee Titans assistant, agreed to terms Friday. Neither Smith nor any other team official will be made available to reporters until next week.
“Throughout our research and interview process, Arthur stood out amongst a very deep and very talented candidate pool with an outstanding plan for our organization to return to the level of competition our fans deserve and expect,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement.
“He has all the characteristics of a strong leader and while his achievements have primarily come on the offensive side of the ball, he has provided a plan that is comprehensive within all three phases of the game.”
Chargers: In the early 1990s, Tom Telesco and Brian Daboll were both students at St. Francis High in upstate New York. The two could be pairing up again soon since Daboll is a favorite to replace Anthony Lynn as the Chargers’ next head coach, a person with knowledge of the situation who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly confirmed Saturday. Though nothing has been decided and the process is ongoing, Daboll does appear to be Telesco’s first choice, something that, given their history together, has been widely speculated. Telesco, the Chargers’ general manager since 2013, recently downplayed his connection with Daboll, telling reporters last week not to read too much into it.