Adam Gase

Could having Adam Gase as an offensive coordinator be Teryl Austin's ticket to a head coaching job in Atlanta?

(AP File Photo)

Teryl Austin has reportedly brought a wild card to the table in his second interview with the Atlanta Falcons. According to ESPN, the Lions defensive coordinator has indicated he would bring in Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase to run the Falcons offense.

Having an experienced offensive coordinator would significantly strengthen Austin's case for the Falcons job. There was a previous report from Atlanta's 680-AM that Austin had suggested two first-year coordinators during his initial interview with the team, something that irked assistant general manager Scott Pioli.

Along with Gase, it is being reported Austin would tab Ravens linebackers coach Ted Monachino as his defensive coordinator.

Gase has interviewed for the Falcons, Bills, 49ers and Bears head coaching positions. He, along with Austin, are also in the mix for the Broncos job that opened up when John Fox resigned from the position last week.

Gase is still under contract with the Broncos, but he, along with the team's other assistant coaches, have been given permission to seek other offers as the team prepares to transition to a new staff. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has already been hired to be the Oakland Raiders head coach.

Austin has also interviewed for multiple head coaching jobs this offseason, but only Atlanta has requested a second interview to this point. He is scheduled to meet with the Broncos for the first time this Friday.

The kicker in the Austin-Gase pairing is that Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Falcons' reported top candidate, has also reached out to Gase to be his offensive coordinator, according to ESPN.

If Atlanta wants to hire Quinn, they'll need to wait until Seattle has been eliminated from the playoffs. That could put the team in a precarious holding pattern until the first week of February.

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