The Atlanta Falcons are in the process of selecting a new defensive coordinator and recently conducted interviews with Derrick Ansley, the passing game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, and Lou Anarumo, a former assistant coach with the Cincinnati Bengals.

These discussions followed previous meetings with Jeff Ulbrich, the interim coach and defensive coordinator for the New York Jets, as well as Wink Martindale, who serves as the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan, indicating a focused approach by the Falcons in their search.

Anarumo was let go from his role as the Bengals’ defensive coordinator on January 6 after spending six years overseeing the team’s defense. Meanwhile, Ansley transitioned to the Packers after serving as a defensive assistant with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2021 to 2023, where he stepped in as defensive coordinator during the last season. Prior to that, he held the position of defensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee in 2019 and 2020.

This search for a new defensive coordinator comes after the Falcons made significant changes to their coaching staff, firing both defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers following a disappointing 8-9 season.

Anarumo’s coaching career began with the Miami Dolphins, where he was initially hired as the defensive backs coach before being promoted to interim defensive coordinator towards the end of the 2015 season, demonstrating a varied background in defensive coaching roles.