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.

Football legend Deion Sanders' retro Nike sneakers are dropping in an NFL-inspired colorway on January 24, 2025.

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 have targeted Robert Saleh to return to the team and fill their defensive coordinator vacancy, but his status becomes more in question as the Jacksonville Jaguars have requested a second interview with him.

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

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 Atlanta Falcons have scheduled a third interview ... most recently with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, for the position next week, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Wilks is no stranger ...

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.

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

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 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 49ers went from first in the NFC to last in their division this season. They have the talent to reach those heights again after resting up this offseason.