Meet new Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan
Age: 52 (turns 53, March 7)
Hometown: Baltimore
Education: Oregon. He was a three-year letterman and played safety.
College experience: Oregon (graduate assistant, 1981), Stanford (linebackers, 1982-83), Rice (defensive backs, 1984-85) and LSU (linebackers, 1986).
Pro experience: head coach: San Francisco 49ers (2005-08; record 18-37); assistant coach: Denver Broncos (1987-92, 2009), New York Giants (1993-96), Washington Redskins (1997-99), New York Jets (2000), Baltimore Ravens (2001-04), and Miami Dolphins (2010-11). He has been a defensive coordinator for 14 seasons.
Highlights: His father, Dick Nolan, was head coach of the 49ers (1968-75) and the New Orleans Saints (1978-80). ...The Giants made Nolan the NFL's youngest defensive coordinator in 1993 at the age of 34. In his first season with the Giants, New York led the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 12.8 points per game. ... He has been to two Super Bowls, with the Denver Broncos in 1987 and 1989.
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.
