Falcons Hire Former Rams Assistant Head Coach Jimmy Lake As Defensive Coordinator Under Raheem Morris

The Atlanta Falcons announced that they have hired former Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach Jimmy Lake to be their new defensive coordinator under Raheem Morris.

The hiring of Lake comes a few days after the Falcons named former Rams pass-game coordinator Zac Robinson as their new offensive coordinator.

Lake joined the Rams at the end of the 2022 season and wound up spending just one year with the team. However, his relationship with Morris goes back to their time together on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching staff.

Lake was part of Morris’ staff from 2010-2011, and the two were also defensive coaches for the team during the 2007 season.

OC

DC

STC pic.twitter.com/XJILbxYYAx

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 30, 2024

Lake began his coaching career at Eastern Washington where he worked as a graduate assistant before being promoted to defensive backs coach. After several years there, Lake joined the University of Washington coaching staff before going to Montana State.

He then made the jump to the NFL working with Buccaneers and Detroit Lions before returning to the collegiate level at Boise State. Following his stay in Idaho, Lake returned to UW where he served in a variety of roles.

Lake was eventually elevated all the way up to head coach and served in that role for parts of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

It isn’t clear if the Rams will look for a new assistant head coach to replace Lake or get rid of the position.

Rams coaching staff losses

The Rams have now lost four coaches from Sean McVay’s staff during the 2023 season. In addition to Morris, Robinson and Lake heading to Atlanta, Eric Henderson left the team to accept a co-defensive coordinator position at USC.