Falcons present and past share memories of former coach Greg Knapp

ATLANTA — He spent two different stints with the Atlanta Falcons and left a lasting impression on everyone in the Falcons organization.

Long time assistant coach Greg Knapp passed away Wednesday at the age of 58 as a result of injuries suffered when someone crashed into his bicycle. Knapp was with the Falcons as offensive coordinator from 2004-2006 and returned as the quarterbacks coach from 2018-2020.

He moved on when the Falcons fired head coach Dan Quinn in 2020 and was hired by the New York Jets to be their passing game coordinator this upcoming season.

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Falcons owner Arthur Blank and the Falcons organization were heartbroken at the loss.

“He was a tremendous football coach who achieved at the highest levels of our game, but more importantly he was a wonderful person who had the love, admiration and respect of those who were blessed to work with him,” Blank said.

Knapp was Matt Ryan’s position coach for the previous two seasons and they worked together on a daily basis for those two seasons.

When Knapp joined the Falcons the first time in 2004, he was then head coach Jim Mora, Jr’s. offensive coordinator and was charged with developing then Falcons QB Michael Vick.

Vick’s play improved so much, the Falcons improved from a 5-11 team in 2003 to a 11-5, playoff team in 2004. The improved Falcons squad would make it to the NFC Championship game where they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Knapp was remembered by coaches, players and owners throughout the NFL on Thursday including his new team the New York Jets. Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke glowingly of his friend and fellow coach.

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Greg Knapp played for three NFL teams in his brief career, never making it past the practice squad of the Chiefs, Raiders and 49ers before his playing career ended after the 1994 season.

In 1995, he landed a job with the 49ers as an offensive quality control coach which launched a long coaching resume that included stops in Atlanta, Oakland, Seattle, Houston and Denver.

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