Mike Smith has always been a man who has a plan. His plan is deeply rooted in certain basic tenets or a core of beliefs that drive him to succeed and guide his daily life.

Passion

After a broken right arm in the second game of his senior season as a linebacker for Father Lopez High School in Daytona Beach, Florida, Smith had to make a decision. He developed an undying passion and thirst for the game of football early in his sports career that couldn't be quenched by just watching from the sidelines. What could he do? As natural as one of his amiable smiles, Smith asked his Head Coach how he could stay involved. The answer was the beginning of Mike Smith's foray into a career path that would eventually land him in Atlanta. He would become a coach at 18 years old. Coaching linebackers while he was still in high school would be Smith's first taste in a profession that would lead him three decades later to become the 14th Head Coach in Atlanta Falcons history on January 23, 2008.

Tireless Worker

As the son of a middle school coach and as the oldest in a family of eight children (four sisters, three brothers), Smith learned early the values and virtues of a strong work ethic. Life's lessons of hard work and responsibility come quickly when you are counted on as the influential older brother.

Smith only knows one way to get the job done and that's roll up your sleeves and go to work. Whether it's paying half his tuition himself so he could stay in private school as a youth, building himself into a college football player good enough to become the all-time single-season tackle leader at East Tennessee (186 stops) or forging his way up the coaching ladder with stints at small schools such as Morehead State and Tennessee Tech, Smith will not be outworked.

"Nobody works harder," said Jacksonville Head Coach Jack Del Rio. "He's got a great mind for football."

"Mike is a hard worker who is known as a football coach's coach," said linebacker Adalius Thomas of the New England Patriots and former Smith pupil with the Baltimore Ravens. "He demands the best out of you as a player, but he also gives you the best as a coach."

"Mike Smith is very thorough, very organized and he has an unbelievable work ethic," added Baltimore Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome.

Communicator

The best way to get your message across clearly and succinctly is to deliver it yourself. As easy as it sounds, it's not always the case for some in this pressure cooker of a job known as coaching in the National Football League. As basic as it may seem, Smith not only understands, but fosters communication, and takes it to a new level with the way he interacts with his Falcons players, coaches, and others in the organization.

"Guys are going to be able to come to Mike and bounce some ideas off of him," said former 17-year NFL veteran and current NFL Network analyst Rod Woodson. "He's going to have an open mind to listen. A lot of times you find coaches who think they know everything and they won't listen. Mike is one of those guys who will listen. To me, I think the great ones listen. It doesn't mean they will use everything (you suggest), but they will listen. And that's important in dealing with today's players."

Teacher

Growing up around parents who are educators can have a lasting effect on a person. Mike Smith is no different. Teaching is in his blood. It's what he loves to do. "He used to tell me he could go to sleep and play the game (of football) in his head," recalled his mother, Carol Smith.

"Mike was with me in Baltimore (Ravens) and I know he's honest, fair and he's a good teacher," continued Woodson. "I think teaching is a lost art in the National Football League. There are a lot of coaches who can put X's and O's on the board, but they can't teach a guy why they did it. But Mike can do that. He will be a good teacher."

Winning Resume

Smith brings a wealth of coaching experience, which includes nine NFL seasons and 26 total years in football. His defensive background has seen a remarkable amount of success as he helped guide the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl XXXV Championship in 2000 and led the Jacksonville Jaguars defense to top 10 rankings in several categories (overall defense, points allowed and rushing defense) during his tenure. With Smith's help, the Jaguars had the sixth-most wins in the NFL over the past four seasons with 40 victories.

From 2003–2007, Smith served as the Defensive Coordinator for the Jaguars and led a defensive unit which ranked fourth in overall defense (296.6), third in offensive points allowed (16.1) and fifth in rushing defense (99.3) from 2003–2006. Last year, the Jaguars rushing defense continued that trend as the unit ranked sixth in the AFC, holding opponents to 100.3 yards per game. The Jaguars defense under Smith's direction also finished 12th in the NFL in total defense in 2007.

In 2006, Jacksonville ranked second in the League in total defense (283.6), which was the highest mark for the franchise in its history. The Jaguars defense also contributed to a team-record 20 interceptions and allowed an NFL-low 11 points per game on their home turf.

During Smith's five seasons in Jacksonville, three defensive players garnered six Pro Bowl selections, which included defensive tackle Marcus Stroud (2003–2005), defensive tackle John Henderson (2004, 2006) and cornerback Rashean Mathis (2006). Smith also coached the likes of defensive end Bobby McCray, who became just the fourth Jaguar to record at least 10 sacks in 2005, and linebacker Daryl Smith who was named to the USA Today All-Joe Team in 2005 as well. Smith contributed to three winning seasons in Jacksonville (2004–2005, 2007) as the Jaguars reached the playoffs for the sixth occasion in franchise history in 2007 and defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC Divisional Playoff game on the road at Heinz Field.

Prior to joining the Jaguars, Smith spent four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and was the Defensive Assistant/Defensive Line Coach from 1999–2001, which included the team's 2000 Super Bowl season. The Ravens defense set an NFL 16-game record by allowing only 165 points en route to the team's first championship.

In 2002, Smith served as the Linebackers Coach for Baltimore, replacing Jack Del Rio, who became Defensive Coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. That season, the Ravens featured All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis and Pro Bowl linebacker Peter Boulware, who recorded 57 tackles, seven sacks for a loss of 51 yards, one interception and four passes defensed in his finest NFL season under Smith's tutelage.

Before joining the NFL ranks, Smith spent 12 seasons at Tennessee Tech from 1987–1998. He was the Golden Eagles' Defensive Coordinator for the last three seasons as the team finished in the top 10 in the nation in total defense (1997 and 1998). He joined the Tennessee Tech staff as the Defensive Line Coach and then served as the Special Team Coordinator from 1988 to 1995. Prior to his last season at with the Golden Eagles, Smith was promoted to Assistant Head Coach on top of his Defensive Coordinator duties.

In 1986, Smith spent one season as the Defensive Line Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Morehead (Ky.) State following his four-year stint at San Diego State. With the Aztecs, he served as a part-time Assistant Coach (1982) before being promoted to Linebackers Coach the next season. It was at San Diego State where Smith first met Brian Billick, who later brought him to the Baltimore Ravens in 1999.

Smith played college football at East Tennessee (1977–1981) and was named defensive MVP twice at his position. He led the team with a record 186 tackles as a senior.

A native of Daytona Beach, Florida, Smith was born on June 13, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois. He and his wife, Julie, have one daughter, Logan.