Thomas Dimitroff

Biography

During Thomas Dimitroff’s initial news conference to introduce him as the club’s new General Manager, he dismissed a notion that the job at hand was a “daunting task.” Dimitroff proved to the rest of the NFL landscape in 2008 that he was correct in that early assessment in a very big way.

Dimitroff’s first duty was hiring a head coach that fit with the culture change he wanted in the building and who would provide stability, leadership and direction for a growing team. He chose the impressive Mike Smith for the challenge and Smith produced an 11-5 record with the team’s first postseason berth since 2004 to become Associated Press’ NFL “Coach of the Year.” Atlanta’s seven-win swing under Smith’s guidance going from 4-12 in 2007 to 11-5 is tied for the fourth-best mark (at +7 wins) in the League for a rookie head coach since 1978. Smith’s 11 victories are also tied for the top mark with five other head coaches for the best record by a rookie head coach taking over a team that finished below .500 the previous season.

Next in line for Dimitroff was signing a key free agent running back to feature in a brand new offense. Michael Turner was inked from San Diego and he ended up second in the League in rushing with 1,699 yards with a franchise-best 17 rushing touchdowns en route to finishing second in the MVP voting and earning his first Pro Bowl invite along with a first-team All-Pro nomination. Dimitroff also added via free agency starters in safety Erik Coleman (second on team with career-high 127 tackles), tight end Ben Hartsock (11 starts before injury) and kicker Jason Elam (29-31 field goals, 129 points scored).      

Dimitroff then focused his efforts on the all-important 2008 draft and leaned heavily on his 20 years of NFL scouting experience to choose building blocks to construct the team’s burgeoning foundation. The 43 year-old personnel executive would score multiple touchdowns by selecting franchise quarterback Matt Ryan, starting left tackle Sam Baker, starting middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, nickel corner Chevis Jackson, slot receiver Harry Douglas and contributors in safety Thomas DeCoud and defensive end Kroy Biermann.

Ryan was named the consensus Offensive Rookie of the Year by Associated Press and Sporting News magazine, becoming only the second rookie quarterback in NFL history (with Peyton Manning in 1998) to throw for 3,000 yards in his first season. Lofton garnered All-NFL rookie first-team honors by AP and Pro Football Weekly with 108 tackles, the second most among all rookies. Baker began the season as a starter at left tackle, protecting Ryan’s blindside, and showed immense promise before a back/hip injury slowed his season. Jackson (33 tackles, 95-yard interception touchdown), Douglas (23 catches for 320 yards, 1 touchdown, 69-yard punt return score), Biermann (2 sacks, 14 tackles), and DeCoud (5 special teams tackles in 10 games played), proved to be solid additions and provided Dimitroff’s first draft class with high marks.

Because all of the major moves that he orchestrated paid off so handsomely in turning around a franchise so drastically in one season, Dimitroff earned the prestigious 2008 Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year award from his peers. The coveted EOY award was voted on by a combination of 40 General Managers, coaches, and personnel people from around the League and is recognized as the premiere award for front office executives each season. 
But the team successes and accolades garnered from a solid first season in the General Manager’s seat would not blur Dimitroff’s focus on his plan. After re-signing key players in wide receiver Michael Jenkins and defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux at the end of the ’08 campaign, Dimitroff was just getting started. His aggressive mentality laid the groundwork for a trade on the eve of the 2009 NFL draft weekend for 10-time Pro Bowler Tony Gonzalez, the most accomplished tight end in NFL history, from Kansas City for a future draft pick in 2010. The right trade particulars were imperative for the Falcons because Dimitroff’s goal was to use the draft as a vehicle to re-tool the roster and stockpile talent in his first two years on the job. Those objectives were still intact after the trade (by not giving up a pick in 2009). 

Dimitroff also stuck to his plan on keeping core veterans during the ’09 free agency period when he re-signed dependable defensive end Chauncey Davis.

The 2009 draft for Dimitroff was calculating in nature and promises to be as successful as the 2008 Falcons draft haul. With the 24th selection in the first round, the Falcons selected defensive tackle and All-SEC performer Peria (Pur-ray) Jerry from Ole Miss to continue to beef up the line. Highly-regarded, hard hitting safety William Moore from Missouri was chosen in the second round and speedy corner Chris Owens of San Jose State was the Falcons’ third round choice. Rounding out the draft were defensive end Lawrence Sidbury of Richmond (fourth round), cornerback William Middleton from Furman (fifth round), tackle Garrett Reynolds of North Carolina (fifth round), linebacker Spencer Adkins from Miami (sixth round), and local product defensive tackle Vance Walker from Georgia Tech (seventh round). All of this year’s draft class will battle for jobs and competition at all spots is always paramount in Dimitroff’s thought process.

Dimitroff directs all aspects of football operations with the Falcons and working with Head Coach Mike Smith has final authority over all personnel decisions related to the signing of free agents, the selection of players in the draft, trades, and related decisions. He will also handle coordinating other football-related activities with Coach Smith.

Dimitroff has earned this climb up the NFL mountain to General Manager by working his way up through the scouting trails as a combine/BLESTO Scout, an Area Scout, National Scout, and College Director of Scouting.
 
His father was a big influence on his life. Tom Dimitroff was a high school, college, and pro coach turned NFL scout (and a former NFL quarterback for the old Boston Patriots). Notable other key influences that have also helped shape Dimitroff’s philosophy today and aided in his rise to his current post include new Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli and New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick.

The younger Dimitroff took a genuine desire for scouting players to the ultimate level early in his life. He became the Canadian Scouting Coordinator for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL in 1990 as his first foray in the world of scouting.  In 1992, he moved on to World League of American Football, where he scouted all NFL, CFL and World League rosters while tracking player transactions for the NFL’s developmental league.

Dimitroff’s career aspirations brought him to the NFL and the Detroit Lions where he became a College Scout in 1994. It was in his years as Scout for the Lions that he was introduced to Atlanta for the first time (living in the Virginia Highlands area) while evaluating the Southeastern part of the country. From there, Dimitroff made his way back to Cleveland in 1998 as a College Scout for the Browns for four years before landing in New England in 2002.

During his five years as the Director of College Scouting in New England (2003-07), he was responsible for overseeing area scouts who evaluate all of the nation’s college prospects while scouting and tracking the development and availability of drafted players. The Patriots had a 77–17 overall record in Dimitroff’s tenure and they won the Super Bowl in the 2003 (XXXVIII) and 2004 (XXXIX) seasons while making a historic march on a perfect 2007 regular season. Many of the players responsible for New England’s history-making NFL-best 16–0 regular season record in 2007 were scouted, evaluated, and later drafted during Dimitroff’s tenure. Some of those players include: CB Ellis Hobbs III, C Dan Koppen, G Logan Mankins, RB Laurence Maroney, S Brandon Merriweather, CB Asante Samuel, DE Ty Warren, TE Ben Watson, NT Vince Wilfork and CB Eugene Wilson
“I think there are two ingredients in being a talent evaluator,” said long-time NFL personnel executive Ernie Accorsi. “You have to learn under top people, which Thomas has done from his father to a championship organization in New England. But you also need that indefinable instinct to see talent. That can’t be taught. You can be a good evaluator without it, but not a great one. Thomas has that instinct.”

Dimitroff played football throughout college and captained his team as a defensive back at the University of Guelph (Canada) from 1987–1989. He was born in Barberton, Ohio, in 1966. Thomas and his wife, Angeline, have one son, Mason (born May 25, 2007) and reside in Atlanta.