Michael Pitre joins the Falcons as a running backs coach. | Wikimedia/Keith Allison
Michael Pitre joins the Falcons as a running backs coach. | Wikimedia/Keith Allison
The Atlanta Falcons have hired Michael Pitre as their new running backs coach with the hope of beefing up the team's ground game.
Pitre replaces Desmond Kitchings, who has left the Falcons to become the offensive coordinator for the University of Virginia Cavaliers, the Falcons reported on their site.
"We have hired Michael Pitre as running backs coach," the Falcons said on Twitter.
Pitre has just one year of experience coaching in the NFL, but he had success with the collegiate rushing game prior to that, the Falcons reported.
Last season, he managed the backfield for the Chicago Bears. The Bears ran the ball 475 times last season, gaining 2,018 yards for an average of 4.2 yards per carry. Compare that to Atlanta, which conducted 393 running plays, gaining 1,451 yards with 3.7 yards per carry.
He served as the running backs coach for the Oregon State Beavers from 2018 to 2020. The team averaged 165.8 yards per game on the ground with 4.5 yards per carry during his tenure, the Falcons reported.
The Falcons' running game for next season carries some questions, however. The top two runners last season were Cordarrelle Patterson and Mike Davis, and it's unclear whether either will be back, the Falcons reported. Patterson had inked a one-year contract that has ended. Davis is entering the second year of his pact, but the team isn't obligated to keep him.
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