FLOWERY BRANCH – Former Buford football coach Jess Simpson is back with the Atlanta Falcons, Falcons coach Dan Quinn announced Tuesday.
Simpson returns to the Falcons staff as the defensive line coach, after spending the last two seasons in the same position with the Miami Hurricanes.
Simpson replaces Bryant Young, who announced he will step down for personal reasons to spend more time with his family.
“We fully support and respect Coach Young in this transition as it’s the right decision for him and his family,” said Head Coach Dan Quinn. “At the same time, we are excited to bring Jess back to the staff. His existing knowledge of our scheme and familiarity with our players will help add to the strength of our defense in 2019.”
While working as the Falcons defensive assistant in 2017, he helped the team reach ninth in the NFL in both total defense and rushing defense as the team advanced to the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
Prior to joining the Falcons, Simpson spent the 2016 season as the defensive line/assistant head coach at Georgia State. He was the head coach at nearby Buford High School for 12 years where he won seven state titles and compiled a record of 164-12 good for a .932 winning percentage.
Young spent the last two seasons directing Atlanta’s defensive line. In 2018, his unit recorded 25.5 of the team’s 37.0 sacks and five of the team’s eight forced fumbles. Young oversaw Takk McKinley who recorded a team-high 7.0 sacks, as well as Grady Jarrett who posted 6.0 sacks and 15 quarterback hits.
“Over the past four years, I have learned the importance of keeping my family and those I love close,” said Young. “Unfortunately, due to health concerns and the season of life my family is in, we have not been able to be together as a family. One thing my son Colby taught me is to not take tomorrow for granted. Under the weight of those considerations, I have made the difficult decision not to coach this year with the Falcons. It was not an easy decision as I think highly of the Falcons organization and the staff I have worked with the past two years.
In his first season as the defensive line coach in 2017, his unit recorded 33.0 of the teams 39.0 sacks and six of the team’s seven forced fumbles. Young coached DE Adrian Clayborn, who recorded six sacks in Week 10 against the Dallas Cowboys. Those six sacks were tied for the second most in a single game in NFL history.
