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Former ESPN star Jemele Hill clashed with NFL fans after his posts about the Atlanta Falcons hiring Kevin Stefanski as head coach after spending time at the helm of the Cleveland Browns.
Stefanski was hired to replace Raheem Morris, who lasted only two seasons as the team’s head coach. Morris was previously the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and Falcons. He also served as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Jemele Hill speaks onstage during the 56th NAACP Image Awards Benefit Concert at the Pasadena Convention Center on February 22, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (By Griffin/Getty Images)
Hill claimed on social media that Falcons fans were “looking sideways” at Stefanski’s hiring because of how he handled the Shedeur Sanders situation and because Atlanta is a “black city.”
“(Former NFL wide receiver) Harry Douglas was absolutely right,” she wrote on X on Friday. “None of the Falcons fans I know like the Stefanski hire. He had a losing record in Cleveland and they didn’t like the way 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 sideways at this hire. Stefanski won’t pass by honeymoon.”
Hill further clarified his comment on Stefanski’s hiring.
“Because some of you misunderstood: The ATL fans I know aren’t saying Deion should be Stefanski’s coach. They’re saying they don’t trust Stefanski because they don’t like the way he treated Shedeur. They liked Deion. They like Shedeur by extension,” she added.
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski looks on before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Huntington Bank Field on December 7, 2025. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)
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Hill added that “people feel that way” and that, in his opinion, Falcons fans should give Stefanski the opportunity to prove himself.
“But the reaction to this hiring is mixed at best due to the reasons I have outlined,” she wrote.
Hill’s assessment faced backlash on X.
The Falcons have significantly underperformed with a young offensive corps and in a weaker division since Tom Brady retired from the NFL.
Jemele Hill speaks onstage during the 56th NAACP Image Awards Benefit Concert at the Pasadena Convention Center on February 22, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (By Griffin/Getty Images)
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Stefanski was able to get a lot of mileage out of the Browns organization, ending the franchise’s playoff winning drought in 2020. He is a two-time Coach of the Year and 45-56 overall.
