ATLANTA — Arthur Smith is the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
Great.
But what should fans expect?
The Falcons hired Smith to be their new head coach at the start of the new year, replacing Dan Quinn who was fired after the team started 0-5.
He comes from the Tennessee Titans, who have surged under Mike Vrabel the last few seasons. Smith helped quarterback Ryan Tannehill have a resurgence in his career while building an offense around star running back Derrick Henry.
So what should we expect in Atlanta?
“Everybody points to a Bill Belichick, but I really do think more like Mike Vrabel,” Will McFadden from the Atlanta Falcons official website said on Locked On Falcons on Thursday. “It is a much more accountable culture. He doesn’t necessarily want to be your friend. He wants to you to do your job and he is not going to be your enemy. He is not going to be anything to you."
If that's the case, that's a big change from the Quinn regime who was all about slogans and building each other up, even when times were bleak.
“He just has these expectations,” said McFadden. “He is going to obviously going to give you his all and he wants your all in return.”
What else do you need to know about Smith's coaching style? Find out on Thursday's episode of Locked On Falcons.
Locked On is a podcast network for local sports that produces daily podcasts about major professional sports leagues, as well as some college sports programs.