Day after interviewing Bill Belichick, Falcons head coach hunt continues with Jim Harbaugh
The Atlanta Falcons are big game hunting when it comes to their search for the organization's next head coach.
A day after sitting down with former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick, the Falcons said Tuesday they also interviewed University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh for the vacancy.
Harbaugh is slightly more than a week removed from leading the Wolverines to their first national title since 1997. It is the second official interview taken by Harbaugh, as he appears more intent on pursuing the pro game once again. Harbaugh interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday.
Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014 following a successful stint at the college level at Stanford. He has been at Michigan since 2015.
Following three straight 7-10 campaigns, the Falcons fired Arthur Smith just after midnight on "Black Monday" and were the first team to officially move on from their coach at season's end. The Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks, Patriots and Tennessee Titans followed suit.
In addition to owner Arthur Blank, Falcons CEO Rich McKay and general manager Terry Fontenot are the primary decision-makers on the hiring. And in the cases of Belichick and Harbaugh, who is interviewing who is up for debate.
Atlanta has invested in its offensive skill positions in each of the past three drafts, resulting in three top-10 picks: wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Bijan Robinson. The roster does lack a quality quarterback, however.
Atlanta has interviewed seven candidates for the position including Belichick and Harbaugh. The others in the mix are:
Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald
Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan
San Francisco 49ers DC Steve Wilks
Carolina Panthers DC Ejiro Evero
Baltimore Ravens assistant head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta Falcons interview Jim Harbaugh for vacant head coaching job
