Falcons Ex Mohamed Sanu to Coach Under Raheem Morris?
The Atlanta Falcons' long and extensive coaching search has come to an end, as the team officially announced the hiring of Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris on Thursday night.
Morris, who previously served as the Falcons' interim coach in 2020, returns to Atlanta for another shot at being a full-time coach, 15 years after his first chance with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He may not be the flashiest hire, but over the past several years, Morris has become one of the most-well respected coaches in the league.
That respect is evident in the reactions to Morris' hiring, with everyone from his Rams colleagues to current Falcons players congratulating him.
Of all the people happy for Morris, perhaps no one is more so than former Falcons receiver Mohamed Sanu. Morris was the Falcons' wide receivers coach when Sanu played for the team from 2016 to 2019, and clearly the two have stayed close since then.
In addition to a series of congratulatory posts, Sanu also addressed an interesting possibility, that being returning to Atlanta as a wide receivers coach.
"I’d love to honestly," Sanu wrote in response to the question.
There may not be much in the way of evidence to go on for this scenario, especially considering that Sanu hasn't been an NFL coach before. On top of that, Morris would need to at least hire an offensive coordinator before hiring other assistants such as wide receivers coach.
However, it's not uncommon for players to break into the coaching realm through their own former coaches. For example, Jerod Mayo got his start as the New England Patriots' linebackers coach under Bill Belichick in 2019, and now he's Belichick's successor heading into next season.
Regardless of whether or not Sanu gets to join Morris' staff, he is still beyond thrilled to see a close friend get another shot.
"I was overjoyed when I first heard the news," Sanu told Atlanta TV station 11 Alive. "Just filled with happiness for him because I know he's well deserving of this job. "
