The early word out of Atlanta was that the public relations side of the organization, which was involved in the interview process, wasn't too thrilled with Smith. But when the football side sat him down, especially new general manager Tom Dimitroff in the second interview, Smith starred.
The detail Smith brings is what makes him stand apart. He is a football coach, plain and simple.
As the son of a coach, he's been around the game his entire life.
Mike Smith might not be somebody many people in the league know. And he might not be the sexy hire, but I give Falcons owner Arthur Blank a lot of credit here.
He flirted with big-name coaches. He flirted with the coordinator flavors of the month. But he bucked the trend. The name wasn't as important as the man.
The Falcons get a heck of a good coach because of it. After what they've been through the past year, it's time they had something to celebrate, and Mike Smith is that.
