Report: Falcons assistant Kevin Koger to interview for Browns coordinator job

Koger played high school football in Ohio (Toledo Whitmer) before crossing the border and playing for the Wolverines. After his playing days, which included being named All-Big Ten honorable mention, he started his coaching career at Saline (Mich.) High (2012). He coached in the college ranks at Michigan (2013-14), Tennessee (2015) and Eastern Kentucky (2016).

He broke into the NFL with the Packers as an offensive quality-control assistant for two seasons (2019-20) before he was named the Chargers’ tight ends coach (2021-23).

In Green Bay, he worked with tight ends Marcedes Lewis, Jimmy Graham and Robert Tonyan.

When he was with the Chargers, he had tight end Jared Cook, who starred at North Gwinnett High. He also coached Gerald Everett, who played at Columbia High, to a career high in catches last season, with 51.

The Browns are also set to interview Seahawks quarterback coach Charles London, who was the Falcons quarterbacks coach from 2021-22. He is a native of Dunwoody and played at Duke.

The Falcons coaching staff under first-year coach Raheem Morris likely will undergo some change.

Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, who was in his first season of calling plays in the NFL, will be heavily scrutinized after the defense gave up 44 points to the Panthers in the regular-season finale and two long overtime touchdown drives in the final two games.

Morris was noncommittal Monday when asked about Lake’s future.

“We have to evaluate all of our coaches,” Morris said. “We have to evaluate all of our players. We have to evaluate everything that we do from a whole program standpoint.”

Morris indicated that he’ll embrace change on the coaching staff.

“There will never been anything that’s the same in the National Football League, whether it’s players, whether it’s coaches, whatever the case may be,” Morris said. That’s just how it is.”

Koger had mixed results with the Falcons’ tight ends last season. He was charged with unlocking Kyle Pitts’ potential. While he had flashes, he was not consistent.

Pitts caught 47 of 74 targets for 602 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. He had four drops, according to Pro Football Reference’s advance stats. He did catch a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to force overtime against Washington in the 16th game of the season.

Blocking tight ends Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley received high praise for their work in the run game.

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson had a strong first season calling plays in the NFL. The unit finished in the top half of the league (16 or higher) in the key categories.

The offense finished ranked sixth in total yards (369.8 per game), fifth in passing (239.3 yards per game), 10th in rushing (130.5 yards per game) and 13th in scoring (22.9 points per game).

The defense finished in the bottom half in the league in three of the four major categories. The ranked 23rd in total yards allowed (345.2 per game), 15th in rushing yards allowed (120.6) 22nd in passing (224.5) and 23rd in scoring (24.9 points per game).

Lake, 48, was head coach at Washington, but was fired after two seasons and received a $9.9 million buyout.

Lake had been at Washington in various capacities since 2014, including a stint as defensive coordinator from 2018-19. He was the play-caller in 2018 and had the Pac-12′s top defense in scoring (15.5 points per game) and total defense (301.8 yards per game). In 2019, the defense gave up 19.4 points per game after losing nine defensive starters.

Before his stint with the Huskies, Lake was at Boise State. His NFL experience included stints with the Bucs (2006-07, assistant defensive backs), Lions (2008, defensive backs) and Bucs (2010-11, defensive backs).

A native of Walnut Creek, California, Lake played defensive back at Eastern Washington.