Biography

Mike Mularkey’s outstanding work with the Falcons offense in 2010 continued its successful upward trend in his third season, helping to lay the groundwork for an NFC-best 13-3 record and an NFC South Division title.

Mularkey’s unit broke the team record for most first downs in a season with 353 while scoring the third-most points in club history with 414. Other superlatives included: ranking third in the NFL in time of possession (32:15), third-down conversions (46.7%) and scoring efficiency (scoring on 70 of 178 possessions), finishing 6th in the NFC in total offense per game (averaging 341.1 yards), and ending up 5th in the NFC in rushing yards a contest (118.2).

With Mularkey’s steady hand on the offensive helm since 2008, the Falcons rank second in the League with 45 touchdowns on drives lasting 10 plays or more and seventh in average rushing yards per game with 129.4.

His quarterback, Matt Ryan, enjoyed a career-year in just his third campaign in 2010, earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time with a career-best 28 touchdown passes (second-most ever in team history), 3,705 passing yards and just nine interceptions. Ryan’s 357 completions and 60.8 completion percentage established new team records under the watchful eye of Mularkey. Also, the 3,725 total net passing yards were the third- highest in a season in club annals.

Mularkey’s efficient offense allowed WR Roddy White to lead the NFL in receptions with a career-high and franchise-best 115 catches while breaking his own club record for receiving yards with an NFC- high 1,389 en route to his third straight Pro Bowl nod. RB Michael Turner was the starting point again for Mularkey’s ball control offense as “The Burner” paced the NFC with 1,371 yards and scored 12 times while being voted to his second Pro Bowl as a Falcon. With the addition of TE Tony Gonzalez, T Tyson Clabo and FB Ovie Mughelli to the NFL’s All-Star game, the Falcons boasted an NFC team-high six Pro Bowlers on offense, which was quite a compliment to Mularkey’s successful system last year.

For his efforts, the former NFL tight end was afforded “Coordinator of the Year” honors by the prestigious Sporting News magazine.

Although injuries hampered both Ryan and Turner in 2009, the offense still averaged 340.4 yards per game while the passing game improved to a 223.2 yards per game average as the Falcons earned back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. Among individual offensive highlights, White led the team with 1,153 receiving yards and became only the second player in franchise history to total three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. White also added a career-high 11 touchdowns while earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection. Mularkey also pieced together an offensive game plan which featured Gonzalez, who provided a large contribution in his first year with the team. The future Hall of Fame tight end set a franchise record among players at his position with 88 receptions while adding 867 yards and six touchdowns.

Mularkey’s successful impact on the Falcons was immense in his first season in Atlanta in 2008.

Under his direction, Atlanta’s diverse offense finished second in the NFL with an average of 152.7 rushing yards per game, sixth in total offense with an average of 361.2 yards a game, 14th in passing yards with a 208.5 average per contest, and 10th in points scored at 24.4. The Falcons broke a 27-year old team record by totaling 5,779 net yards gained in ‘08 and also established a new club mark by only surrendering 17 total sacks overall. The 391 points scored and 61.1 passing completion percentage were both the fifth-best marks in a season in club history. Mularkey’s efficient offense helped the Falcons finish with an 11-5 record, only the sixth double-digit win total in a season in team history (at that time) and earn a Wild Card playoff berth.

In his first season with the Falcons in ‘08, Turner posted 1,699 rushing yards (third most ever by a Falcons runner) while pounding his way to a team record 17 rushing touchdowns. Led by Turner, the Falcons rushing game finished with 2,443 yards on the ground, the fifth-most ever in club annals, as the veteran runner earned his first Pro Bowl, was voted a first-team All Pro, and finished second in the NFL in MVP balloting. White joined Turner in the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career, as well as setting a then-franchise record with 1,382 receiving yards on 88 catches. Part of White’s success came from Ryan, who benefited greatly from the experience of Mularkey at the offensive helm. As a rookie, Ryan won the honorable Associated Press and Sporting News Rookie of the Year accolades. He became the first rookie quarterback in club annals to win 11 games as the starting quarterback and became only the second rookie in NFL history (at the time) to throw for over 3,000 yards in his first season (sharing the honor with Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning.)

In 2007, Mularkey served as the Tight Ends Coach for the Dolphins and guided seven year veteran David Martin, who finished fourth on the team in receptions (34). Before joining Miami’s staff. in 2006 as the offensive coordinator, Mularkey spent two seasons as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills (14-18 overall record). In his first season in 2004, he led the Bills to their first winning campaign in five years with a 9-7 record as the club tallied wins in nine of their final 12 games.

From 1996-2003, Mularkey spent eight seasons on the successful coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers under Head Coach Bill Cowher and served as the Offensive Coordinator in his final three years. As Offensive Coordinator, Mularkey’s offense in Pittsburgh finished third and fifth, respectively, in the NFL in total offense in his first two years. The Steelers also averaged 173.4 rushing yards per game, which led the League in 2001. Mularkey helped the Steelers register a 13-3 record in 2001 on the way to an AFC Central Division championship and an AFC Championship Game appearance.

Under Mularkey’s creative tutelage, quarterback Kordell Stewart passed for 3,109 yards en route to be chosen to the AFC Pro Bowl squad. The following season in 2002, Mularkey’s coaching expertise was witnessed again as he helped resurrect quarterback Tommy Maddox’s career. After not playing in the NFL in five years, Maddox threw for 2,836 yards with 20 touchdowns and set a single-season franchise record with a 62.1 completion percentage to earn NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Mularkey spent his first five years in Pittsburgh as the club’s Tight Ends Coach. He helped mold Mark Bruener into one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the league during his tenure. The solid tight end play from Mularkey’s crew enabled RB Jerome Bettis to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for five-straight seasons. The Steelers as a team also were among the top 10 in the League in the rushing department every season and led the NFL in 1997, as well as finishing second in 1996.

Mularkey began his coaching journey in the League as a Quality Control Coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1994 and was then promoted to Tight Ends coach the following season. In his only season working with the Bucs tight ends, Jackie Harris hauled in a team-best 62 passes for 751 yards to become one of just three tight ends in the team’s history to stand atop the club’s yearly receiving chart. His first coaching venture came at Concordia College where he spent the 1993 season as the Offensive Line Coach.

A ninth-round draft selection by the San Francisco 49ers in 1983, Mularkey was released by the Niners at the end of training camp but was picked up by the Vikings. He spent the next six seasons in Minnesota before being signed away as a Plan B free agent in 1989 by the Steelers, where he performed for three years. For his career, he totaled 102 catches for 1,222 yards and nine touchdowns in 114 games played.

A native of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Mularkey, 50, captured three letters at the University of Florida (1980-82). He and his wife, Betsy, have two sons, Patrick, a scouting assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Shane, a student at the University of North Carolina.

Mularkey’s Coaching Background

• 2008-2011 -- Offensive Coordinator // Atlanta Falcons
• 2007 -- Tight Ends Coach // Miami Dolphins
• 2006 -- Offensive Coordinator // Miami Dolphins
• 2004-2005 -- Head Coach // Buffalo Bills
• 2001-2003 -- Offensive Coordinator // Pittsburgh Steelers
• 1996-2000 -- Tight Ends Coach // Pittsburgh Steelers
• 1995 -- Tight Ends Coach // Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 1994 -- Quality Control Coach // Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 1993 -- Offensive Line Coach // Concordia College