Barrett Ruud, John Timu will remain with the Falcons, who announce two other hires

The Atlanta Falcons have made several coaching changes, including new hires and promotions within their staff. LaTroy Lewis has been appointed as the assistant defensive line coach, while Ricky Manning joins as the assistant defensive backs/nickels coach. John Timu has been promoted to outside linebackers coach after serving as a defensive assistant, and Barrett Ruud continues as the inside linebackers coach.

Lewis comes from a stint as the defensive line coach at Toledo and was previously part of Michigan's coaching staff, contributing to their 2023 national championship. Manning was previously the cornerbacks coach for the Raiders and has experience coaching the Jets’ secondary, which ranked highly in passing defense statistics.

Timu, who has been with the Falcons for two seasons, played a key role in achieving a franchise-record 57 sacks in 2025. His previous experience includes coaching roles with the Chargers, where he worked in various capacities, including as a defensive line coach.