Now that he’s landed the head-coaching gig with the Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Smith reportedly could be bringing one former Tennessee Titans coach with him.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, ex-Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees “could come on and help” Smith in his new venture.
While Rapoport doesn’t specifically say what job Pees would take, one would assume that would be for the defensive coordinator job, a position Pees has held three times during his career.
Pees has been the defensive coordinator with the New England Patriots (2006-09), the Baltimore Ravens (2012-17), and the Titans (2018-19).
The @NFLGameDay Notebook with @MikeGarafolo & @TomPelissero: The #Falcons hired Arthur Smith & may hire DC Dean Pees; the #Lions are zeroing in on #Saints AHC Dan Campbell as their coach; Insight into the #Eagles search, with two new candidates; Who will the #Seahawks hire as OC? pic.twitter.com/Xyf6OEJcF6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 16, 2021
While Pees retired after the 2019 campaign, he did say during this past season that he “would certainly consider” a return to coaching.
“I’ll be honest with you, I miss it. I miss it a lot,” Pees said. “If the right situation came along, I would certainly consider it. I’ll put it that way. I don’t know that I’d do it. But I’m not saying that I wouldn’t at least consider it.”
Pees taking the defensive coordinator job in Atlanta would be a gut-punch to Titans fans who wanted to see him return to Nashville after he made the aforementioned comment about coming out of retirement.
Tennessee is currently in the midst of looking for a defensive coordinator as well, but there has been no indication that Pees is a target. There will be a lot of upset Titans fans if Pees indeed does come out of retirement and joins Smith on the Falcons as his defensive coordinator.
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