In January of 1966, majority owner Rankin Smith surprised everyone by naming Green Bay Packers assistant Norb Hecker the first head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Although many potential candidates had been mentioned in the press, no one had considered Hecker. In retrospect, maybe Smith should have gone with one of those other candidates. In three seasons (1966-68), Hecker compiled a miserable record of 4 wins, 26 losses, and 1 tie for a winning percentage of just .145. He was replaced in 1968 by Norm Van Brocklin.