ATLANTA — In a significant move, the Atlanta Falcons have appointed Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach, the team revealed on Saturday.

Stefanski most recently led the Cleveland Browns from 2020 to 2025. Prior to that, he held various coaching roles with the Minnesota Vikings, where he served from 2006 to 2019.

His leadership prowess has been acknowledged with the AP Coach of the Year award twice, first with the Browns in 2020 and again in 2023.

“I am incredibly excited to lead this storied franchise,” Stefanski expressed in a statement released by the Falcons on Saturday. “Our immediate focus will be assembling a top-notch coaching team and engaging with the remarkable individuals crucial to achieving our goals.”

Matt Ryan, the newly appointed president of football operations for the Falcons, shared his enthusiasm about Stefanski’s hiring, expressing confidence in their choice.

“We’re thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness and active collaboration with every area of the football operation.”

Stefanksi will look to turn around an Atlanta Falcons team that finished third in the NFC South at 8-9 this season.