Now back for his second stint calling plays for the Atlanta Falcons' defense, coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is different -- but similar in important ways.

The San Francisco 49ers will look different next season. And maybe not just a little bit. After the firing of defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. are looking for new leadership on the defensive side of the ball.

The San Francisco 49ers’ list of potential defensive coordinator candidates appears to be short, and it got shorter Saturday when NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported the Atlanta Falcons were set to hire Jeff Ulbrich as their new defensive coordinator.

The Atlanta Falcons are hiring Jeff Ulbrich as defensive coordinator. The San Francisco 49ers expressed interest in him last year.

The Atlanta Falcons have met with six candidates for their defensive coordinator vacancy, interviewing former NFL head coach Steve Wilks and Pittsburgh Steelers secondary coach Grady Brown on Friday.

Potential 49ers defensive coordinator candidate Jeff Ulbrich was hired by the Atlanta Falcons for the same role.

The Atlanta Falcons' search for a defensive coordinator now includes a former interim head coach for an NFC South Division rival.

The 49ers snagged a third-round comp pick in the 2025 draft when DeMeco Ryans and Ran Carthon were both hired in the same offseason. Ryans went to the Houston Texans as their head coach. Carthon went to the Tennessee Titans as their general manager.

The Falcons have interviewed Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and have another scheduled with former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo this week. Stay up to date with each reported interview using our Falcons defensive coordinator tracker.

Lake had never been a defensive coordinator or a defensive playcaller prior to 2024. It's likely that the Falcons bring in someone with more experience doing that job this offseason. Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will also be interviewed, per an NFL Network report.

The Atlanta Falcons are interviewingSteve Wilks for their defensive coordinator job, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Wilks, former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator and Carolina Panthers interim head coach,

The Atlanta Falcons have hired former assistant Jeff Ulbrich, who spent the past four years with the New York Jets, as defensive coordinator.