Falcons fire head coach Quinn, GM Dimitroff after 0-5 start

The Atlanta Falcons have fired head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff following an 0-5 start to the season, the team announced Sunday.

Quinn spent five-plus seasons roaming the sidelines for Atlanta, amassing a 43-42 record. Dimitroff ran the front office for over 12 years, building six playoff teams.

"Decisions like these are very difficult, but the previous two seasons and start to this one have been especially hard for me because of the deep love, admiration, and respect I and my family have for Dan, Thomas, and their families," said Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

"For many years, they have represented me, our team, organization, and Atlanta with class, commitment, and all the passion you would want in the leaders of the team. But as everyone knows, this is a results business and I owe it to our fans to put the best product we can on the field.

"We have poured every resource possible into winning and will continue to do so, but the results of late do not meet our standard or what I've promised our fans."

Quinn led the Falcons to an appearance in Super Bowl LI in his second campaign. But Atlanta infamously blew a 28-3 lead in the second half against the New England Patriots, and the franchise has trended downward ever since.

Though they returned to the postseason in 2017, the Falcons did so after winning fewer games and were bounced in the divisional round. They've played to a 14-23 record since 2018. Atlanta blew multiple double-digit leads in its five-game skid to start the 2020 campaign, evoking memories of its Super Bowl meltdown.

Quinn was on the hot seat after starting last season 1-7, but a 6-2 finish bought him another chance to lift the Falcons back to contention.

"Our finish in 2019 earned an opportunity to show that momentum could be continued and built upon, but that has clearly not happened," Blank said. "And overall, the last three-plus seasons have fallen short of my commitment to Atlanta and to our fans everywhere.

"I want them all to know that my commitment to winning has not wavered and I will continue to provide every resource possible to that end."

Quinn arrived in Atlanta with a strong defensive reputation after holding a coordinator job with the Seattle Seahawks, but the Falcons ranked in the top 15 in points allowed just once during his tenure.

Longtime Falcons executive Rich McKay will lead the Falcons' front office on an interim basis. An interim head coach was not named immediately.