Falcons fire head coach Mike Smith

The Atlanta Falcons have announced the firing of head coach Mike Smith.

Owner Arthur Blank will address the media at an 11 a.m. ET press conference on Monday. The press conference will be held at the Blank Family Foundation offices, rather than Falcons headquarters.

Blank had this to say in a statement, according to Will Brinson of CBSSports.com.

Smitty's contributions to our club, team and city over the last seven years are numerous. His accomplishments on the field made him the most successful coach in the 49-year history of the Falcons, and we are grateful for the foundation he has laid for us for the future.

Smith guided the Falcons to a 66-46 record in his time with the team, but they went 10-22 over the last two seasons after going 13-3 in 2012.

Despite their struggles, the Falcons had an opportunity to win the NFC South with a victory on their home field Sunday. However, they were blown out by the Carolina Panthers in a 34-3 rout.

The Falcons have reportedly retained a search firm to help in finding a new head coach. General manager Thomas Dimitroff's job is believed to be safe.