The Atlanta Falcons today announced that they have hired Keith Carter as assistant offensive line coach, Matt LaFleur as quarterbacks coach, Doug Mallory as defensive assistant/linebackers coach, Marquand Manuel as secondary coach/senior defensive assistant, Mike McDaniel as offensive assistant, Chris Morgan as offensive line coach, Jeff Ulbrich as linebackers coach, and Chad Walker as defensive assistant/defensive backs.
Carter joins the Falcons as assistant offensive line coach after spending the 2014 season as the offensive line coach/running game coordinator at San Jose State University. Last season, the Spartans ran for 1,696 yards with 11 touchdowns while averaging 141.3 yards per game on the ground. Senior RB Tyler Ervin led the team with 888 yards on 158 carries (5.6 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. Prior to arriving at San Jose State, Carter spent two seasons as an offensive quality control coach with the Seattle Seahawks.
Carter spent three seasons at the University of San Diego (2009-11), serving as the Toreros tight ends coach in 2009 and the offensive line coach in 2010 and 2011. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, UCLA, as an undergraduate assistant before heading to Wagner College to coach tight ends in 2006. He returned to California in 2007, becoming the offensive line coach at the University of the Redlands. Carter played four seasons at UCLA as a tight end, H-back, and fullback. He is a native of Dowlington, Pennsylvania, and the grandson of Pro Football Hall of Famer, Gino Marchetti, who played for the Baltimore Colts in the 1950s and 1960s.
LaFleur joins the Falcons as quarterbacks coach after spending 2014 in the same role at the University Notre Dame. Under LaFleur's tutelage, in 2014 Irish QB Everett Golson completed 256 of 427 passes (60 percent) for 3,445 yards with 29 touchdowns. Prior to arriving in South Bend, LaFleur spent four seasons in the same role with the Washington Redskins. LaFleur worked in Washington with QB Robert Griffin III, who became the first Redskins rookie quarterback selected to the Pro Bowl and led the team to its first NFC East title in 13 years.
Under LaFleur, Griffin established Redskins rookie records in pass completions (258), passing yards (3,200), passing touchdowns (20) and rushing yards by a quarterback (815). Prior to joining the Redskins, LaFleur spent two seasons as an offensive assistant for the Houston Texans (2008-09) where he worked with the quarterbacks and wide receivers. LaFleur was the offensive coordinator at Ashland University prior to joining the Texans. He began his coaching career at Saginaw Valley State as an offensive assistant and also spent time at Central Michigan (2004-05) and Northern Michigan (2006) universities. LaFleur played quarterback at Saginaw Valley State where he guided the Cardinals to three straight NCAA Division II playoff appearances.
Mallory joins the Falcons as defensive assistant/linebackers coach after spending three years (2011-13) as the assistant head coach/defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Indiana University. He brings 25 years of collegiate coaching experience to Atlanta, including stops at Army, Western Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Oklahoma State, LSU, and New Mexico. Prior to landing at Indiana, Mallory spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at New Mexico after four years at LSU. While coaching the defensive backs in 2007, he helped the Tigers post the third best passing efficiency defense in the nation en route to a BCS National title.
Mallory spent four years (2001-04) at Oklahoma State University as the Cowboys secondary coach. During his time at OSU, Mallory's units intercepted 54 passes. Prior to his four-year stop at OSU, Mallory served in the same capacity at the University of Maryland from 1997 to 2000. He coached at Indiana University from 1994-96, working as the defensive backs and special teams coach. Prior to his second stint at Indiana, Mallory coached at Western Kentucky (1990-93) after serving as the offensive line coach at Army in 1989. He began his coaching career at Indiana as a graduate assistant after four years as a defensive back at Michigan.
Manuel joins the Falcons as secondary coach/senior defensive assistant after spending the last three seasons as a member of the Seattle Seahawks coaching staff. He served as a defensive assistant for the last two years under Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn while Quinn was the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks, after spending the 2012 season as a special teams assistant. Manuel also worked with Quinn at the University of Florida, serving as a coaching intern in 2011 while Quinn was the Gators defensive coordinator.
Manuel began his coaching career after spending eight years in the NFL as a defensive back. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth-round (181st overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft out of Florida and played in 116 games with 58 starts during his career. Manuel totaled 332 tackles (259 solo), 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown, 16 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 36 special teams tackles in his career while playing for the Bengals, Seahawks, Packers, Panthers, Broncos, and Lions.
McDaniel joins the Falcons as an offensive assistant after spending the 2014 season as the Cleveland Browns wide receivers coach. Under McDaniel's guidance WR Andrew Hawkins posted career bests with 63 catches for 824 yards while adding two touchdowns. McDaniel also helped rookie WR Taylor Gabriel finish second on the team with 621 receiving yards on 36 catches. Prior to joining the staff in Cleveland, he spent three seasons with the Washington Redskins, starting as an offensive assistant (2011-12) before being promoted to wide receivers coach in 2013.
In his final season in Washington in 2013, McDaniel helped Pierre Garcon led the NFL and set a franchise record with 113 receptions. His total surpassed Hall of Famer Art Monk's mark of 106, which stood for 29 years. From 2009-10, McDaniel coached the running backs for the Sacramento Mountain Lions (originally the California Redwoods) of the UFL where he helped RB Cory Ross earn UFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. Prior to Sacramento, he spent three seasons as an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans (2006-08). McDaniel got his start in coaching as an intern with the Denver Broncos in 2005. He is a native of Greeley, Colorado, and played collegiately at Yale.
Morgan joins the Falcons as offensive line coach after spending the last four seasons as assistant offensive line coach for the Seattle Seahawks. Prior to arriving in Seattle, Morgan served as an assistant offensive line coach with the Washington Redskins (2011-13) and Oakland Raiders (2009-10). In 2012, Morgan helped direct a unit that rushed for a team-record 2,709 yards, marking the franchise's first team rushing crown since 1933.
In 2010, Oakland ranked 10th in the NFL in yards per game (356.6) and sixth in points per game (25.6). Prior to Oakland, Morgan spent the previous five seasons coaching at the high school level in his native Texas, serving as offensive line coach, special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Westfield High School in Houston. Morgan served as a graduate assistant and offensive line coach at the University of Idaho after two years as an assistant coach at Copperas Cove (Texas) High. He played offensive line at the University of Colorado from 1995-1999 and earned his master's degree in educational leadership at Idaho.
Ulbrich joins the Falcons as linebackers coach after three seasons at UCLA. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2014 after serving as the assistant head coach, linebackers coach, and special teams coordinator during his first two years with the Bruins. Last season, Ulbrich's defensive unit was ranked third in the Pac-12 in total defense. Under his guidance, LB Eric Kendricks won the Butkus Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy after topping the nation in solo tackles per game and finishing sixth in the country in total tackles. Kendricks also finished his career as UCLA's all-time tackles leader, breaking LB Jerry Robinson's record set between 1975 and 1978. Seven of Ulbrich's defenders earned first or second-team all-conference honors and the Bruins held four opponents to less than 80 yards rushing during the 2014 campaign.
Ulbrich spent two seasons as a special teams assistant with the Seattle Seahawks (2010-11) before arriving in Westwood. Ulbrich was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round (86th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft out of the University of Hawaii. He earned a starting role with the 49ers in 2001 and spent 10 seasons with the club before retiring in 2009. Ulbrich was a two-year starter at Hawaii, where he earned All-WAC first-team selection at middle linebacker and was a team co-captain during his senior season.
Walker joins the Falcons as a defensive assistant/defensive backs after two years as a quality control assistant at the University of Oklahoma. Prior to joining the Sooners staff, Walker spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Division III Mississippi College. He spent three years at Bryant University, first as defensive backs coach in 2009 before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2010. Walker helped the Bulldogs post a 19-14 record over their first three years as an FCS program.
The New Orleans, Louisiana, native worked as a defensive quality control coach for three seasons with the Miami Dolphins (2005-07). Before moving to the NFL, Walker spent two seasons as a defensive assistant on Nick Saban's staff at Louisiana State University. During that time the Tigers won the 2003 SEC championship and national title. Walker served as a graduate assistant at Louisiana-Monroe and West Virginia before landing at LSU. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at LSU in 2000 after graduating with a degree in education.
