ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons are bringing back Jeff Ulbrich, announcing Saturday night that they have hired one of their former assistants as the team’s next defensive coordinator.
Ulbrich, who spent much of last season as the interim head coach of the New York Jets, takes over a defense that was heavily criticized by Raheem Morris earlier this month after his first year as Atlanta’s head coach ended with back-to-back overtime losses (with a combined 74 points allowed) for an 8-9 record. That marked the franchise’s seventh straight losing season.
The Falcons ranked 23rd of 32 teams in total defense (345.2 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (23.4 points allowed per game) in the 2024 season, and they were last in sacks through nine games. A late-season surge by the pass rush wasn’t enough to prevent a seventh consecutive year with no postseason for Atlanta.
The Falcons interviewed Ulbrich on Wednesday, four days after firing defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers.
Ulbrich, who was 3-9 as interim coach after the Jets fired Robert Saleh, interviewed Monday to remain in the lead role without the interim label.