Michael Pitre is the new Atlanta Falcons running backs coach. | Atlanta Falcons
Michael Pitre is the new Atlanta Falcons running backs coach. | Atlanta Falcons
Michael Petre, formerly an assistant coach for the Chicago Bears, has been hired as the Atlanta Falcons' new running backs coach.
Pitre held the same title with the Bears last season, and a comparison between the two teams shows that the Bears relied more on rushing than the Falcons did, the NFL reported. The stats show that Chicago had 475 rushing plays for 2,018 yards last season with an average of 4.2 yards per carry. Atlanta ran the ball 393 times for 1,451 yards with 3.7 yards per carry.
"We have hired Michael Pitre as running backs coach," the team said on Twitter.
He also had success with the running game at the collegiate level. From 2018 to 2020, he managed the backfield for the Oregon State Beavers. The team averaged 165.8 yards per game on the ground with 4.5 yards per carry, the Falcons reported.
Some questions about his personnel choices exist, however. Last season's leading rusher for the Falcons, Cordarrelle Patterson, had only signed a one-year deal with Atlanta. Salary cap pressure might prevent the team from keeping him, the Falcons reported.
Another top producer, Mike Davis, has another year left on his contract should the Falcons decide to keep him on the roster, the Falcons reported.
Pitre replaces Desmond Kitchings, who left Atlanta to become the offensive coordinator at the University of Virginia, the Falcons reported.
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