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Former ESPN star Jemele Hill sparred with NFL fans following her posts about the Atlanta Falcons hiring Kevin Stefanski as head coach after he spent time at the helm of the Cleveland Browns.
Stefanski was hired to replace Raheem Morris, who only lasted two seasons as the team's head coach. Morris was previously the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and Falcons. He also worked as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Jemele Hill speaks on stage during the 56th NAACP Image Awards Benefit Concert at the Pasadena Convention Center on February 22, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (For Griffin/Getty Images)
Hill claimed on social media that Falcons fans were “looking askance” at Stefanski's hiring because of the way he handled the Shedeur Sanders situation and because Atlanta is a “black city.”
“(Former NFL wide receiver) Harry Douglas was absolutely right,” he wrote on X on Friday. “None of the Falcons fans I know like the Stefanski signing. He had a losing record in Cleveland and they didn't like how he handled the Shedeur Sanders situation. They LOVE Deion in the ATL. It's a black city, with one of the blackest fan bases in the NFL, and they have a black QB on their roster, so a lot of ATL fans are looking askance at this signing. Stefanski isn't going to have a honeymoon there.”
Hill further clarified his comment about Stefanski's hiring.
“Because some of you misunderstood: The ATL fans I know aren't saying Deion should be the coach instead of Stefanski. They're saying they don't trust Stefanski because they don't like how he treated Shedeur. They loved Deion. They love Shedeur by extension,” he added.
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski watches before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Huntington Bank Field on December 7, 2025. (Ken Blaze/Image Images)
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Hill added that “people feel that way” and that, in his opinion, Falcons fans should give Stefanski a chance to prove himself.
“But the reaction to the hiring is mixed at best because of the reasons I laid out,” he wrote.
Hill's assessment faced backlash from X.
The Falcons have been pretty underperforming with a young corps on offense and in a weaker division since Tom Brady retired from the NFL.
Jemele Hill speaks on stage during the 56th NAACP Image Awards Benefit Concert at the Pasadena Convention Center on February 22, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (For Griffin/Getty Images)
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Stefanski was able to get a lot out of the Browns organization, ending the franchise's playoff win drought in 2020. He is a two-time Coach of the Year and is 45-56 overall.
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