Atlanta (AP) Mike Smith has been fired by the Atlanta Falcons after two seasons as head coach.
Kelly will be Atlanta’s new head coach when the Falcons play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Smith, who coached at Miami for five seasons and coached at North Carolina State for two more, said in a statement that he is sad to be leaving Atlanta and will miss his players and the Falcons organization.
“I want to thank our fans, coaches and staff for the tremendous support over the last two seasons and wish them all the best as they embark on a new journey together,” Smith said.
“As a coach, I know that I’m a leader who has the ability to create a great atmosphere for our players and a great organization.
I look forward to returning to the Atlanta Falcon football team to help them continue to achieve great things.”
The Falcons announced Monday that Smith and Eagles coach Chip Kelly had agreed to terms.
It was the third consecutive year that Kelly and Smith have parted ways.
The Falcons have not played in a regular-season game since 2010, when they were ousted in the NFC Championship Game by the New York Giants.
Smith’s teams have gone 10-6 since the 2010 season.
The Eagles have gone 3-13.
The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Rams met in the Super Bowl last year, a matchup that the Falcons lost 38-20 to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Saints defeated the Falcons 34-31 in the season finale.
