Former University of Washington Huskies head coach Jimmy Lake has been fired as the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons after a disappointing season that saw the team miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year. The move comes following criticism from first-year coach Raheem Morris about the defense’s poor performance.
Morris, who was sharp in his criticism of the defense, stated that he was “really shocked” and “really disappointed” with their performance. Lake, who had previously served as the Los Angeles Rams’ assistant head coach and was 7-6 as the Huskies’ head coach in 2020-21, was let go along with defensive line coach Jay Rodgers.
The Falcons ranked 23rd in total defense and allowed an average of 24.9 points per game. Despite some individual highlights from players like Arnold Ebiketie and Matthew Judon, the team struggled on third-down efficiency and allowed a combined 74 points in back-to-back losses to close the season.
New York Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich is expected to be considered for the Falcons’ defensive coordinator job, having previously worked as an assistant with Atlanta from 2015-2020.
Source: https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1795482/former-uw-huskies-head-coach-jimmy-lake-atlanta-falcons-fired-nfl-job