Back in his days at Oklahoma State University, Zac Robinson would sit quietly at the rear of his class, lost in his world as he filled page after page of his notebook. The lessons from the lecturer did not catch his attention, since Robinson had something else on his mind.
“I won’t pretend otherwise, school wasn’t really where my focus was,” said Robinson, who now works as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. “I was busy designing football plays instead.”
While still a college student, Robinson held the position of quarterback for Oklahoma State, where he performed well enough to stand out. He earned one of the six invitations to the 2010 Senior Bowl and later got selected in the seventh round of the draft by the New England Patriots.
Robinson didn’t have a lengthy period under Tom Brady’s mentorship. The Patriots let him go in September of 2010, after which he moved between three other teams within three years before an elbow issue brought his time as a player to a close.
Now, more than a decade after that chapter closed, the Falcons are hoping that the knowledge he developed back then, while pretending to take lecture notes, will now help them build an explosive offense.
Ready for Year Two as Offensive Boss
When the 2025 season begins, Robinson will be stepping into his second year as the offensive coordinator and playcaller for Atlanta.
He has a few rising stars to work with, including Michael Penix Jr., who is in his second year as quarterback, receiver Drake London, and running back Bijan Robinson, who has quickly become one of the top performers in his position.
The Falcons are counting on Robinson, who was raised watching Denver Broncos games with his family, to make the right calls. Most of the team’s decisions during free agency were meant to fix issues on defense, which gave them problems during 2024.
According to team owner Arthur Blank, defensive improvement will again be the focus when the draft arrives this month.
Robinson was brought over to Atlanta by Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who had previously worked with him at the Los Angeles Rams. They were part of the coaching group that celebrated a Super Bowl LVI victory and even worked in offices located close to each other.
At the time, Morris led the defense while Robinson served first as assistant quarterbacks coach, then moved up to quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.
Once Morris accepted the Falcons’ job, he looked back on the countless football debates he’d had with Robinson. Those discussions, although heated at times, were grounded in football knowledge that Robinson had developed under Rams head coach Sean McVay and several past offensive coordinators like Sean O’Connell, Liam Cohen, and Mike LaFleur.
O’Connell is now the Minnesota Vikings head coach, while Cohen recently became the head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. As for Robinson, his name has been mentioned in coaching circles as someone who could eventually lead a team of his own.
“It started with just understanding how his brain works,” Morris said. “The way he pays attention to the tiniest details, how much he prepares and organizes, all those qualities made it very easy for me to move forward with him.”
Learning Through Observation and Analysis
After his playing career ended, Robinson worked with quarterbacks and then joined Pro Football Focus as someone who evaluates quarterbacks through data and analysis.
He also spent time studying the Rams’ offense closely during that period, especially their Super Bowl year in 2018, before officially joining the team in 2019 as an assistant quarterbacks coach.
“I spent so much time watching their games, especially their 2017 and 2018 seasons, including the Super Bowl loss,” Robinson said. “I couldn’t stop reviewing their strategies. I also looked at what the 49ers were doing under Kyle Shanahan.
And every time Patrick Mahomes played, I made sure to pay close attention, because Andy Reid’s play designs were always exciting. But something always kept drawing me back to the Rams, and not long after, I got the chance to interview with them right after their Super Bowl run.”
When some talent evaluators didn’t see Patrick Mahomes as a top draft pick, Robinson believed strongly in him. He also had strong opinions about Michael Penix Jr., whom many predicted would not be a first-round choice in the 2024 draft.
Robinson compared Penix’s abilities to quarterbacks like Mahomes and Matthew Stafford. Atlanta eventually picked Penix as the No. 8 general selection.
