Hempstead, NY - Former Hofstra University safety Raheem Morris ('98) has been named the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons it was announced Thursday. Morris is in his second stint in Atlanta, where he coached for six seasons and served as interim head coach for the final 11 games of the 2020-21 season.

Morris returns to Atlanta after three seasons as the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator. He was part of the Super Bowl championship team in 2021.

In his first stop in Atlanta, Morris was the assistant head coach/pass game coordinator in 2015. He was elevated to assistant head coach/wide receivers coach in 2016 and assumed passing game coordinator duties as well between 2017 and 2019. In 2020, Morris was promoted to defensive coordinator and then interim head coach.

Morris previously served as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011 after two seasons as Tampa's defensive backs coach. He then moved to Washington for a three-year term as defensive backs coach. 

Tampa Bay was where Morris got his professional start as he was the defensive quality control coach in 2002. He took on a defensive assistant role in 2003 and was the assistant defensive backs coach in 2004-05. In 2006, he was the defensive coordinator at Kansas State before returning to Tampa Bay in 2007. 

Morris played at Hofstra from 1994 through 1997. He recorded 141 tackles during his career and was the recipient of the 1997 Hempstead Mayor's Trophy. He joined the coaching staff as a graduate assistant in 1998 and, after one year at Cornell, returned to serve as defensive backs coach in 2000 and 2001. He graduated in 1998 with a degree in physical education.