Falcons hire Ulbrich as DC

The Atlanta Falcons hired former New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich as their defensive coordinator, the team announced Saturday.

Ulbrich takes over for Jimmy Lake, who Atlanta dismissed earlier in January. The Falcons finished 8-9 and second in the NFC South, while the defense allowed 24.9 points per game to rank 23rd in the category this season.

Ulbrich joined the Jets in 2021 as their defensive coordinator under Robert Saleh. New York fired Saleh in October after starting the campaign 2-3 and promoted Ulbrich to interim head coach. The team went 3-9 under Ulbrich, missing the playoffs for the 14th straight season.

The Jets interviewed Ulbrich for their head coaching role, but he was considered a long shot to land the gig.

The 47-year-old will reunite with head coach Raheem Morris in Atlanta after serving as Morris' defensive coordinator for 11 games during the 2020 season. Ulbrich was the Falcons' linebackers coach from 2015-19 before being promoted.