Dean Pees is coming out of retirement to join Arthur Smith's coaching staff with the Atlanta Falcons as the team's defensive coordinator, the team announced Thursday.
The Falcons also named Dave Ragone as offensive coordinator and Marquice Williams as special teams coordinator.
Pees' second retirement lasted just more than a year after he walked away from the Tennessee Titans following the 2020 season.
He has 47 years of coaching experience, including 16 NFL seasons.
Pees, 71, retired for the first time after the 2018 season when he left after six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Six weeks later, he was hired by Mike Vrabel as the Titans' defensive coordinator.
The veteran coach is one of eight defensive coordinators in NFL history to coach in a Super Bowl with two teams. He was part of a Super Bowl-winning staff for both the Ravens and New England Patriots.
Pees, known for elaborate schemes and his ability to confuse quarterbacks, broke into the NFL as a linebackers coach with the Patriots in 2004.
Ragone joins the Falcons after spending five seasons with the Chicago Bears, including the first four as quarterbacks coach. He was the Bears' passing game coordinator in 2020. Ragone, 41, has also served as a coach with the Tennessee Titans and Washington.
Smith said at his introductory news conference Tuesday that he will call his own plays.
Williams spent the past two seasons as the Detroit Lions' assistant special teams coach.
The Falcons on Thursday also retained wide receivers coach Dave Brock.
ESPN's Turron Davenport contributed to this report.