Nothing is guaranteed in this life except death and failure.

However, it’s usually by the latter that the best lessons in life are learned. While Raheem Morris knew he wasn’t guaranteed a second chance, he used his failures to evolve into a more well-rounded football coach.

On Thursday, Morris was announced as the Atlanta Falcons newest head coach, becoming the first Black full-time head coach in Falcons history.

After spending the past three seasons as the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator, he returns to the franchise that provided him with another opportunity.

Team owner Arthur Blank called it a “historic day” and said in a statement that he was thrilled to bring Morris back to Atlanta, where he coached as an assistant from 2015 through 2020.

"With 26 years of experience in the NFL, including the last three in an outstanding organization that has won our league's championship in that time, Raheem emerged from a field of excellent candidates and is the right leader to take our team into the future,” Blank said.

Players in the NFL seemed excited by the move. All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who played for Morris in L.A., gave his stamp of approval on X, formerly Twitter.

"Falcons got one of, if not the best, coach in the NFL forreal!" he tweeted.

During his tenure with the Rams, the team made two postseason appearances and Morris captured a title in Super Bowl LVI by leading a defense that ranked sixth in the league against the run, giving up just over 100 yards per game.

“His time in LA has given him an enhanced perspective on everything,” Blank added. “From personnel, team operations, game planning, working with an outstanding offensive staff and many other things that has helped him develop into an even more prepared coach in all aspects of the game. I believe his leadership skills have grown and his understanding of what it takes to have a highly collaborative one-team culture are now at a much higher level."

His leadership skills have grown.

Morris was named an NFL head coach when he was just 33 years old. He was an assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for six seasons before Jon Gruden was fired in 2009, and the Bucs chose the young defensive backs coach to take over.

Things didn’t go well.

In year one, his team went 3-13. In year two, they were 10-6 and failed to make the playoffs. In year three, the Bucs went 4-12 and Morris was fired.  He then went back to being an assistant coach for the next 13 years.

However, after being a defensive coach for his entire career, he decided that to become a better coach, he had to learn the offensive side of the ball, too. He became the pass game coordinator in Atlanta in 2015. Then he coached wide receivers for four years. Getting a feel for coaching both sides of the ball made him a more attractive candidate to Atlanta this time around.

"I am overjoyed for the opportunity for my family and I to return to Atlanta as the Falcons head coach," Morris said in a statement. "We know from firsthand experience what a first-class organization Atlanta is and what this team means to its city and its fans. I am incredibly appreciative of Arthur Blank for his leadership and for this entire organization for putting its trust in me to help lead this team.”

Morris took the failures he learned as a 36-year-old head coach in the NFL and went back to work. He returns to the NFC South franchise a more mature version of himself.

Now the Falcons might learn something from Morris this time around.

Jamal Spencer is a writer for Sports News Highlights.

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