Rams pursuing Falcons’ Matt LaFleur as offensive coordinator as Atlanta hires Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian, fired as USC’s coach 16 months ago, continues to affect the Southern California football scene.
The Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday hired Sarkisian as offensive coordinator, apparently clearing the way for the Rams to hire Falcons quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur as their offensive coordinator.
With Kyle Shanahan leaving Atlanta to become coach of the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams had long planned to seek permission from the Falcons to speak with LaFleur after the Super Bowl, several people close to the situation said. The people requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak about prospective coaching candidates employed by other teams.
New Rams Coach Sean McVay worked with LaFleur on the Washington Redskins’ coaching staff from 2010 to 2013. LaFleur, 37, was the Redskins’ quarterbacks coach for those four seasons and the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach the last two. He also has coached in the NFL with the Houston Texans.
The Falcons, featuring quarterback Matt Ryan, led the NFL in scoring this season, including 42 points in a victory over the Rams at the Coliseum that proved to be former Rams coach Jeff Fisher’s final game.
McVay, offensive coordinator and play-caller for the Redskins the last three seasons, has said he would call plays in his first season with the Rams. Adding LaFleur to a staff that includes quarterbacks coach Greg Olson would give the Rams a triumvirate of coaches to nurture Jared Goff, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft.
USC fired Sarkisian in October 2015 amid reports of erratic behavior and alcohol-related issues. Sarkisian filed a lawsuit against USC over his firing. An arbitration hearing is scheduled to begin in July.
Last September, Alabama Coach Nick Saban hired Sarkisian as an offensive analyst. Sarkisian was promoted to offensive coordinator for the College Football Playoff championship game against Clemson after Saban fired Lane Kiffin, who had been named Florida Atlantic’s coach on the eve of Alabama’s poor offensive performance in a semifinal victory over Washington.
Falcons Coach Dan Quinn, the former defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks under Sarkisian mentor Pete Carroll, hired Sarkisian to succeed Shanahan.
Sarkisian visited the Falcons during organized team activities last spring and also during training camp.
“As a play-caller I felt like, number one, what an aggressive play-caller he’s been through the years,” Quinn said. “He has a real familiarity from the live-zone scheme, the play action, the keepers. That’s such a big part of what we do.
“It’s him as a play-caller, two of the guys that I respect most in our profession, Pete [Carroll] and Nick [Saban] and being part of both of their programs, I know what he stands for as a coach.”
Sarkisian was the Oakland Raiders’ quarterbacks coach in 2004. He passed on an offer to become the Raiders’ head coach in 2007, and became the University of Washington’s head coach in 2009.
Follow Gary Klein on Twitter @latimesklein
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