The Atlanta Falcons announced several back-office moves today, including new hires and promotions, mostly in the team’s scouting departments.
Director of Player Personnel Kyle Smith has been promoted to Assistant General Manager. Smith has been helping the team scout potential draft picks, free agents, and college and pro athletes. He is now the second most key officer in the Falcons front office, behind General Manager Terry Fontenot.
Ryan Pace, currently the senior personnel executive for the team, will now take over Smith’s old position. Pace has also been assisting the team in scouting new players and worked with Fontenot at the New Orleans Saints. He was also a former GM with the Chicago Bears.
Brian Zeches, an outside hire, is the Falcons’ new player personnel coordinator. Zeches was a west area scout for the Reese’s Senior Bowl since 2021 and spent seven years as personnel coordinator and pro scout for the Washington Commanders scouting department.
The Falcons also added to their player scout team, with former player personnel coordinator Shelly Harvey now an area scout, and BLESTO scout Ben Martinez joining the pro department as a scout. James McClintok, is now a BLESTO scout, and Hakeem Smith will now be an assistant pro scout. Both McClintok and Smith were scouting assistants for the Falcons. (For those wondering what a BLESTO scout is, read this.)
One promotion is outside of the scouting department: Joey Galioto is now head of equipment operations for the team, promoted after being an assistant in that department.
