Falcons hire Jimmy Lake as defensive coordinator

The Falcons have their defensive coordinator, former Rams assistant head coach and University of Washington head coach Jimmy Lake.

The Atlanta Falcons followed up their appointment of Zac Robinson as offensive coordinator this past weekend by announcing Jimmy Lake as the other key assistant coach on Raheem Morris’ staff.

Lake, who was with Morris on Sean McVay’s coaching staff with the Los Angeles Rams last season, will serve as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator.

A former strong safety during his playing days, Lake has had a lengthy career, mostly specializing in work with defensive backs, since the turn of the millennia. He coached DBs for three separate college programs between 2000-2005 before making his way to the NFL.

In the pros, he actually had appointment in that same role under Morris’ staff during Raheem’s first stint as a head coach in Tampa Bay, with the two being together in both the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Coach Lake then went back to the collegiate ranks, continuing to coach DBs with Boise State and the University of Washington before finally breaking through and becoming a full time defensive coordinator with the Huskies in 2018. He was then appointed head coach of the same program in 2020, but was ultimately fired in the middle of a disappointing 2021 season.

This will be Lake’s first ever job as a defensive coordinator at the NFL level. It has not yet been announced if he or Morris himself will be calling the defensive plays in the 2024 season.