Dean Pees is coming out of retirement to join Arthur Smith’s coaching staff with the Atlanta Falcons as the team’s defensive coordinator, a source confirmed to ESPN on Friday.
NFL Network was the first to report the move.
Pees’ second retirement lasted just over a year after running away from the Tennessee Titans after the 2020 season.
He has 47 years of coaching experience, including 16 NFL seasons.
Pees, 71, first retired after the 2018 season when he left the Baltimore Ravens after six seasons. Six weeks later, he was hired by Mike Vrabel as the Titans’ defense coordinator.
The veteran coach is one of eight defensive coordinators in NFL history to train with two different teams in a Super Bowl. He was part of a Super Bowl-winning staff for both the Ravens and New England Patriots.
Known for his extensive schedules and ability to confuse quarterbacks, Pees broke into the NFL in 2004 as a linebackers coach with the Patriots.
The Falcons also hired Marquice Williams as special teams coordinator on Thursday, a source confirmed to ESPN.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport contributed to this report.