Michael Bearden, a coaching fellow with the Atlanta Falcons, is continuing his development in the NFL through the Ollie Wilson Coaching Fellowship. Bearden began his fellowship last season with the Cleveland Browns, where he worked in the quarterback room under head coach Kevin Stefanski.
During his time in Cleveland, Bearden recalled an early experience when veteran quarterback Joe Flacco asked for his input while watching film. “Hey Mike,” Flacco said, “what did you see on that?” Bearden reflected on this moment: “This dude is a Super Bowl MVP. It’s just my first year in the league and we’re just having conversations about coverages and what we saw.” He added, “To me, it was almost like a confidence boost. You don’t need to feel a certain way when you walk into the room, you know it, too. Be confident.”
Bearden noted that successful players are always seeking new ideas and learning opportunities. He approaches his own career similarly, aiming to absorb as much as possible from each experience.
Stefanski emphasized the importance of intentionality in developing young coaches: “I want to be so intentional about this position and finding the right people so we can develop coaches along the offensive side of the ball,” he said. “I am so passionate about this because I was the beneficiary of being developed in this way.” Stefanski described Bearden as someone who would make an impact on football.
Stefanski started his coaching career in a similar role before advancing to other positions. He highlighted how valuable it is for young coaches to start in quarterback rooms due to high-level discussions that take place there.
After Stefanski became head coach of the Atlanta Falcons last month—the 20th person to hold that position—he brought Bearden with him to continue their work together. The Falcons named Bearden as The Ollie Wilson Coaching Fellow.
Ollie Wilson served two stints as running backs coach for Atlanta (1991–96 and 2002–07), helping several players achieve 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Wilson also began his NFL coaching journey through a minority fellowship program.
Stefanski explained why these fellowships matter: “As a league, it is very obvious to me that we can do better having Black coaches in leadership positions,” he said. “Having the ability in my chair to develop young, Black coaches on the offensive side of the ball is important if you want to affect change, which we do here at the Falcons.”
In Atlanta, Bearden’s responsibilities will expand as he moves from working with quarterbacks to tight ends under coach Kevin Koger and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Stefanski described these transitions as beneficial for broadening perspective: “They were great experiences for me to broaden my scope and how I see the game,” he said.
Bearden welcomed this approach: “It’s cool being able to bounce around different rooms and hear the different nuanced teachings,” he said. He believes learning from multiple perspectives helps growth: “Tight end nuances are different than quarterbacks. And receivers are different than tight ends. The nuances are where you grow.”
The Ollie Wilson Coaching Fellowship will focus on providing varied experiences over the next year for Bearden’s continued development.
“In any line of work, we are the product of our experiences,” Stefanski concluded. “With young coaches, the more we can expose our coaches to all, the better they will be on the other end.” He added that working daily with staff such as Tommy Rees and Kevin Koger helps fellows like Bearden find their own voice as coaches.
The Atlanta Falcons compete in the NFL’s NFC South division and have advanced twice to the Super Bowl, specifically reaching it in 1998 and 2016 according to their official website. The team has been based in Atlanta since its establishment as an expansion franchise in 1965.