The Atlanta Falcons knew their 2024 season wasn't good enough. They finished with an 8-9 record and decided to make some changes to the coaching staff.
They brought back Jeff Ulbrich to be their defensive coordinator after they fired Jimmy Lake after just one season at the helm. Less than two months after his firing, Lake has now gone back to the Los Angeles Rams organization.
According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, Lake will join the Rams staff as a senior defensive assistant.
The Rams have added Scott Huff (tight ends), Drew Wilkins (pass rush coordinator), Alex Van Pelt (sr. offensive assistant), Ben Kotwica (asst. special teams), Dan Shamash (game management) and re-added Jimmy Lake (sr. defensive assistant) to their coaching staff, team announced.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) February 24, 2025
Falcons News: Jimmy Lake is Back With the Rams
The 48-year-old is back to his old stomping grounds. He was the Rams' assistant head coach during the 2023 season and now he gets a chance to land right back onto that coaching staff.
Prior to landing with the Rams and Falcons, Lake had some stops in college football while also being a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions, and Washington Commanders' sidelines.
He got a chance to be the defensive coordinator for the first time in 2024 but things didn't work out in Atlanta. The Falcons defense had multiple impact players like Jessie Bates, A.J. Terrell, Grady Jarrett, Matthew Judon, and Justin Simmons, to name a few.
Despite this collection of talent, the Falcons' unit was a disappointment. In 2024, they were 23rd in total defense (345.2) and 22nd in pass defense (224.5). They were also 23rd in scoring defense (24.9) and 31st in team sacks (31).
The Falcons believed they should have gotten better results from that unit but it didn't happen with Lake calling the shots.
Following his departure, Raheem Morris said, "After a thorough evaluation of the season, and with careful consideration for our team's future, we deemed these moves necessary."
With all eyes set on the 2025 season, Lake found his way back to Los Angeles after one failed season in Atlanta.