The rebuild is under way.
The Atlanta Falcons have started the rebuild of their defensive coaching set-up by appointing Jeff Ulbrich.
Ulbrich, the former New York Jets interim head coach, arrives in Atlanta as their new defensive coordinator.
The Falcons formally confirmed Ulbrich’s hiring on Monday.
He now faces the challenge of turning around the Falcons’ defense, which performed disastrously in 2024.
Mike Rutenberg joins the staff as defensive pass game coordinator, while Nate Ollie takes over as defensive line coach.
Who is Jeff Ulbrich?
Ulbrich played linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers from 2000 to 2009, recording 501 total tackles in 120 games.
Following retirement from his playing career, he began coaching with the Seattle Seahawks in 2010 as an assistant special teams coordinator.
He would go on to coach linebackers at UCLA from 2012 to 2014 under head coach Jim Mora.
His return to the NFL came when he became the Falcons linebackers coach from 2015-2020.
The Falcons did not retain Ulbrich in 2020, prompting him to take over as defensive coordinator for the New York Jets in 2021.
Eventually, the Jets sacked head coach Richard Saleh, leading Ulbrich to take over as interim head coach for the second half of 2024.
Ulbrich’s New York Jets
While interim head coach, Ulbrich guided the Jets to an underwhelming 3-9 record.
His defense, meanwhile, finished worst in yards allowed during his first season before coming third in the last three seasons.
With Ulbrich, the Jets’ run defense never made the top 10, leaving much to be desired.
However, they were the only team in the entire NFL to finish in the top five in pass defense for each of the previous three seasons.
A special relationship with Atlanta
Ulbrich has experience coaching with current Falcons head coach Raheem Morris in the past.
From 2015 to 2021, Ulbrich coached the Falcons’ linebackers under current Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.
He was also part of the coaching staff during the extremely successful 2016 season, when the Falcons reached Super Bowl LI.
Following Quinn’s dismissal in 2020, Ulbrich served as the team’s interim defensive coordinator while Morris became interim head coach.
Mixed reception from fans
Fan reaction to the acquisition has been mixed.
Some supporters feel the board is showing a lack of ambition by rehiring a previously dismissed coach, while others believe his familiarity with the franchise could lead to a quicker progression on the defensive side.
“Pays to be a friend of Raheem Morris,” wrote on supporter on X, while another commented on Facebook: “Great hire. Can’t wait to see what he brings to Atlanta.”
Ulbrich and his defensive coaching staff will be hoping to kick off their rebuild when the Falcons make the 15th pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
