Falcons’ Jeff Ulbrich to return as defensive coordinator for Stefanski
There’s still work to be done, but Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich improved the defense last season.
For that work, Ulbrich was retained by new coach Kevin Stefanski on Monday, according to the team.
Under Ulbrich’s direction, the Falcons broke the franchise record with 57 sacks, which ranked second in the NFL. Defensive line coach Nate Ollie was a new addition last year.
Ulbrich and Ollie did nice jobs of bringing along rookies on defense, including outside linebackers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., safety Xavier Watts and nickel back Billy Bowman Jr. Also, second-year defensive tackles Brandon Dorlus and Ruke Orhorhoro made strides.
Pearce Jr. finished with 10½ sacks, one short of the team’s rookie record set by Claude Humphrey in 1968. Watts led the team with five interceptions, which tied the rookie mark set by Deion Sanders in 1989.
The Falcons were a middle-of-the-pack defense, with the arrow pointing toward the top 10 in most categories. The Falcons gave up 326.6 yards per game (15th of 32 in the league).
They gave up 126.6 yards rushing per game (24th in the NFL), 200.4 yards passing per game (13th) and 23.6 points per game (19th). They were 19th in third-down efficiency at 39.9%.
The Falcons ranked in the top 10 in takeaways with a plus-5, which ranked eighth in the NFL. The defense had 16 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.
Safety Jessie Bates III was named second-team All-Pro.
Also, linebacker Kaden Elliss, who is set to become a free agent, finished second in the NFL among linebackers with 30 pressures and was one of two players in the NFL (Tyrel Dodson) with 100-plus tackles and 10-plus tackles for loss, 3½-plus sacks and an interception in 2025.
Ulbrich was a member of Dan Quinn’s staff with the Falcons from 2015-20. He went to the Jets and was their defensive coordinator for five seasons.
Also, Stefanski is set to hire Tommie Rees, veteran offensive line coach Bill Callahan and perhaps special-teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot.
Rees, who played quarterback at Notre Dame, was the Browns offensive coordinator last season. Rees, 33, was hired by the Browns as their pass-game coordinator in 2024 after a stint at Alabama as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He took over the play-calling from Stefanski after Week 10 last season.
Stefanski was the play-caller for most of his tenure, but gave up it up twice, once to Ken Dorsey and to Rees last season.
Callahan, 69, was head coach of the Raiders in 2002-03. He was head coach at Nebraska from 2004-07 in the college ranks, and he was with Stefanski in Cleveland from 2020-23.
Brian Callahan, the former head coach with the Titans, has been linked to the Falcons. He potentially could serve as the offensive coordinator.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
