Jan 1, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith talks to a referee against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith is turning to a familiar face for his coaching staff. FootballScoop reports that Smith, who played at North Carolina, is hiring Dave Huxtable, who served as Tar Heels defensive coordinator, to the Atlanta staff.
Huxtable, 66, has never coached in the NFL before. He got his start in 1982 as a graduate assistant at Iowa State and remained in the college ranks. After a season at Oklahoma State in 2000 as linebackers and special teams coach, Huxtable joined the North Carolina staff in the same role. After one season, he was promoted to defensive coordinator while remaining the linebackers coach. Huxtable kept that position through the 2003 campaign.
Smith, 40, was at North C
arolina from 2001-to-2005. He missed time due to multiple injuries, seeing limited action at guard in 2004 and ’05. He became a UNC graduate assistant in 2006. In 2 seasons as head coach of the Falcons, Smith has a 14-20 record.
After UNC, Huxtable went on to coach at UCF, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh and NC State. The past 3 seasons, he has been an analyst for Texas (2020) and Alabama (2021-22). Huxtable’s title with the Falcons will be senior defensive assistant coach.
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