Atlanta Falcons name coordinators

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons have named Zac Robinson as offensive coordinator, Jimmy Lake as defensive coordinator and will retain Special Teams Coordinator Marquice Williams.

Zac Robinson

Robinson comes to Atlanta after spending five seasons (2019-23) with the Los Angeles Rams where he served in a variety of roles, including quarterbacks/passing game coordinator (2022-23), assistant quarterbacks coach (2019; 2021)

and assistant wide receivers coach (2020).

In 2023, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 326-of-521 attempts (62.6 percent) for 3,965 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a 92.5 passer rating and earned Pro Bowl honors for the second time in his career. Stafford

ranked in the top 12 among quarterbacks in completions, passing yards and touchdown passes.

With Robinson as passing game coordinator, Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua recorded the most receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486) by a rookie in NFL history, earning second-team AP All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Nacua also set

the NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game in NFL history with 181 yards against Detroit.

In 2022, the Rams started four different quarterbacks due to injury; however, Stafford completed a career-high 68 percent of his passes before being sidelined. Robinson was instrumental in onboarding mid-season acquisition Baker

Mayfield, who led the Rams on a game-winning drive against the Raiders despite joining the team only two days prior. Under Robinson’s tutelage, Mayfield completed 82-of-129 passes for 850 yards and four touchdowns in five games for Los Angeles.

Robinson served as assistant quarterbacks coach in 2021, working with the newly acquired Stafford, who finished the season ranked in the top five in passing yards (4,886), passing first downs (233), yards per attempt (8.13) and touchdown

passes (41), matching his career high. Los Angeles’ passing attack completed the third-most completions of more than 20 yards in the NFL with 65 en route to a victory in Super Bowl LVI.

In 2020, with Robinson serving as assistant wide receivers coach, Rams wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods led the team with 974 and 936 receiving yards, respectively. Los Angeles’ offense finished 11th in total yards per

game (377) and 13th in passing yards per game (250.9).

Robinson began his NFL coaching career as assistant quarterbacks coach for the Rams in 2019. He was influential in the continued growth of quarterback Jared Goff, who became the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for

more than 4,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

Prior to joining the Rams, Robinson served as a senior analyst for Pro Football Focus where he was one of the site’s primary pro and college quarterback evaluators dating back to 2016. Following his professional playing career, Robinson

began giving instruction to college and NFL quarterbacks in 2014. He received his first coaching opportunity in 2015 as an instructor at The Quarterback Ranch in Southlake, Texas, where he led college and NFL instruction for the renowned quarterback development

camp.

Robinson was originally selected by the New England Patriots in the seventh round (250th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. In addition to New England, he also spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals.

As a three-year starting quarterback at Oklahoma State, Robinson finished his collegiate career among the all-time offensive leaders in program history, compiling 8,317 passing yards and 88 total touchdowns, including 66 through the air.

A native of Littleton, Colo., he was named an All-Colorado selection at quarterback while competing in both football and track at Chatfield Senior High School. Robinson, and his wife, Mia, have a daughter, Madi, and a son, Cooper.

Jimmy Lake

Lake comes to Atlanta having previously served as assistant head coach of the Los Angeles Rams in 2023. During his time with the Rams, Lake helped the team bounce back from a 5-12 season in 2022 to post a 10-7 record and earn a Wild

Card playoff berth.

Lake joined the Rams following two seasons as head coach at the University of Washington where he oversaw some of the nation’s top defensive units and developed several NFL prospects. His first season as the Huskies’ head coach was

the COVID-shortened 2020 season, during which he led the team to a 3-1 record and won the Pac-12 North Division title. Washington led the conference in total defense and saw four players earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Prior to being named the head coach, Lake spent the previous six seasons in various roles on Washington’s staff, including defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for two seasons from 2018-19. In 2019, Lake oversaw a unit

that limited opposing offenses to 19.4 points per game despite losing nine defensive starters from the previous year. He helped Elijah Bolden earn second-team All-America and first-team All-Pac 12 honors, and Myles Bryant was named second-team all-conference.

Lake also guided freshmen defensive backs Trent McDuffie and Cameron Williams to freshman All-America honors.

In his first year as the Huskies’ defensive play caller, Lake fielded a defense that led the Pac-12 in scoring defense (15.5) and total defense (301.8 yards per game). The Huskies also ranked second in the conference in rushing defense,

passing yards and passing efficiency.

Lake was Washington’s co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for two seasons from 2016-17. The Huskies led the Pac-12 and ranked eighth nationally in total defense, while also leading the conference and ranking fifth

nationally in scoring defense in 2017. Washington also allowed the fewest yards per completion in the nation that season (9.42). In 2016, Washington rode its stellar defense to a 12-2 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. The Husky defense

led the FBS in takeaways (33), ranked eighth in the country in scoring defense (17.7) and 12th in the nation in total defense (316.9).

Washington finished the 2016 season leading the Pac-12 in first downs allowed and third down conversion rate, while ranking second in the conference red zone defense, rushing defense and sacks.

In 2015, as the defensive backs coach, Lake’s unit helped the Huskies led the Pac-12 in scoring defense, total defense and red-zone defense. Washington also ranked second in passing efficiency and rushing defense. He coached future

NFL defensive backs Budda Baker and Sidney Jones to first-team all-conference honors. Lake joined Washington’s staff in 2014, following head coach Chris Peterson from Boise State.

Lake spent two seasons at Boise State (2012-13) where he worked as the defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator. In 2013, he oversaw one of the top units in the Mountain West, allowing a conference-low 17 touchdown passes.

The previous season, the Broncos defense ranked among the best in the nation in passing defense, passing efficiency, total defense and scoring defense.

Prior to landing in Boise, Lake spent two seasons with the Buccaneers, the second of two stints in Tampa Bay, coaching the defensive backs. He started his NFL career with the Bucs as an assistant defensive backs coach for two seasons

from 2006-07 before taking over as the Detroit Lions defensive backs coach.

Lake spent one year at Montana State in 2005 where he coached a secondary that led the Big Sky conference allowing just 165.6 passing yards per game. Prior to Montana State, he was the secondary coach at Washington.

Lake got his coaching start at his alma mater, Eastern Washington, coaching the secondary from 2000-03. He was an All-Big Sky honorable mention as a strong safety and an academic all-conference selection, graduating from Eastern

Washington with a degree in business administration in 2000.

A native of Walnut Creek, Calif., Lake lived in Turkey and the Philippines among other places before settling in Spokane, Wash., as his father served in the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife, Michele, have three children: Jimmy Jr.,

Faith and Bronson.

Marquice Williams

Williams returns for his fourth season with the Falcons as special teams coordinator. Since joining the staff in 2021, he has helped kicker Younghoe Koo convert on 91-of-103 field goal attempts (88.3 percent), the sixth-best

mark in the league in the span. Koo has also made seven game-winning field goals with time expiring, tied with Las Vegas’ Daniel Carlson for the most in the NFL in that span.

In 2023, Williams helped Koo connect on 32-of-37 field goal attempts (86.5 percent) in addition to making 27-of-28 extra points for a total of 123 points scored in 2023, en route to earning two NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

honors (Weeks 7 and 16). With 123 points scored on the season, Koo (591) passed Mick Luckhurst (558) to set the franchise record for most points scored in franchise history. Under Williams’ guidance, punter Bradley Pinion punted 75 times for 3,110 net punting

yards, including a long of 66 yards. He notched 11 punts inside the 10-yard line, tied for fifth in the league.

His 2022 unit was one of two special teams units in the NFL to score multiple touchdowns during the season – a Lorenzo Carter scoop-and-score off a blocked punt in Week 2 and a Cordarrelle Patterson 103-yard kickoff return for a

touchdown in Week 11. Patterson’s 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was the ninth of his career, setting the NFL record for the most career kickoff return touchdowns in NFL history. Under Williams’ tutelage, Koo earned NFC Special Teams Player of the

Month twice (December and January) and Patterson earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 11) that season. Following the 2022 season, Williams represented Atlanta’s staff as the head coach of the East team at the 2023 East/West Shrine Game.