FLOWERY BRANCH — The Atlanta Falcons have hired Greg Knapp as their new quarterbacks coach.
Knapp was most recently with the Denver Broncos where he spent he spent four seasons (2013-16). In was hired as the Broncos quarterbacks coach in 2013, but was then promoted to passing game coordinator in 2014. Under Knapp’s tutelage, future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning threw for a career high 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns – both are NFL records.
The former offensive coordinator for the Falcons returns as the team’s quarterbacks coach and brings 30 seasons of coaching experience – 21 years in the NFL. Knapp got his coaching start at Sacramento State as the Hornets running backs coach. He spent nine years at Sacramento State where he was eventually promoted to Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator, spending four years in that position (1991-94).
Knapp got his first crack in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in 1995. He crossed paths with Head Coach Dan Quinn in San Francisco in 2001-03, when Quinn was getting his first job in the NFL and Knapp had worked his way up to becoming the offensive coordinator for the Niners. During his time as offensive coordinator, he helped develop quarterback Jeff Garcia, who made it to three Pro Bowls in 2000-02 under Knapp’s leadership. He also coached Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young and prolific wide receiver Terrell Owens, who made it to three Pro Bowls when he was the offensive coordinator. Owens posted the highest three-year receiving yardage total of his career (3,814) while combining for 290 receptions and 39 total touchdowns for the 49ers in Knapp’s offense.
The California native then moved on to Atlanta where he was the offensive coordinator from 2004-06. During his time here in the mid-2000s, Knapp coached three Pro Bowlers: TE Alge Crumpler, RB Warrick Dunn, and QB Michael Vick. Atlanta boasted the NFL’s top-ranked rushing unit in all three years with Knapp overseeing the offense, including a team-record 183.7 yards per game on the ground during the 2006 campaign as Vick became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
Knapp went on to become the offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders (2007-08, 2012) and the Seattle Seahawks (2009) where he linked back up with Quinn. He also spent time as the quarterbacks coach with the Houston Texans (2010-11), where he helped coach current Falcons backup quarterback Matt Schaub. In 2010, Schaub threw for 4,370 passing yards and 24 touchdowns – both are the second highest of his career.
Knapp has coached 13 players that have played in at least one Pro Bowl and four of then quarterbacks that he’s coached have gone on to play in 11 combined Pro Bowls. Knapp is a native of Seal Beach, CA. He was born on March 5, 1963. He has a daughter, Jordan.
