FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons are in the process of securing a new defensive coordinator and have conducted a virtual interview with Jeff Ulbrich, who is currently serving as the interim head coach and defensive coordinator for the New York Jets, as confirmed by the team on Wednesday.

The discussions with Ulbrich, who previously worked as an assistant coach for the Falcons, followed an interview with Michigan’s defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, which took place on Tuesday.

This coaching change comes after Atlanta decided to part ways with defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers on Saturday, following a disappointing season that ended with an 8-9 record.

Ulbrich had a tough run as the Jets’ interim coach, finishing with a 3-9 record after the team made the decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh. Interestingly, Saleh is also being considered as a potential candidate to lead the Falcons’ defense and has already interviewed for the role of defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers.

In addition to his current interim role, Ulbrich interviewed for the full-time head coach position with the Jets on Monday. His previous experience with the Falcons includes serving as their linebackers coach from 2015 to 2019, followed by a role as assistant head coach/linebackers in 2020, before stepping in as the interim defensive coordinator later that year.

Martindale, who interviewed with the Falcons, previously worked as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants from 2022 to 2023. His prior experience includes stints as a defensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens, where he had a long tenure from 2012 to 2021. He has also held coaching roles with the Raiders.

The Falcons’ defense struggled during the past season, ranking 23rd in the NFL and allowing an average of 24.9 points per game. This underwhelming performance contributed to the team’s losing record, marking the seventh consecutive year that they have not made the playoffs.