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

The San Francisco 49ers’ candidate pool for defensive coordinator may have one less option. The Atlanta Falcons announced they are hiring Jeff Ulbrich as defensive coordinator. Ulbrich just finished a stint as interim head coach of the New York Jets after Robert Saleh was let go midway into the 2024 season.

Saleh, who was fired in October as the New York Jets head coach five games into his fourth season, generated interest on the head-coaching front and was seen as one of the frontrunners for the Jacksonville Jaguars job. He also interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.

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.

Brant Boyer was announced Monday as the 49ers’ new special teams coordinator, a role he held the past nine season with the Jets, where he overlapped and worked under coach Robert Saleh, who was re-hired Friday as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.

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 search for a new defensive coordinator has not necessarily gotten off the ground. Robert Saleh is seen as the top candidate.

One of those names is interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. Originally the defensive coordinator but promoted to the role after New York fired Robert Saleh, Ulbrich went 3-9 at the helm and failed to turn around the Jets season. After interviewing for the head coaching job last week, Ulbrich didn't want to wait to be told no by New York.

Falcons might look to make a splash in free agency, starting with an edge rusher that played with their archrival last season.

The New York Jets have hired Steve Wilks as the team’s new defensive coordinator, according to ESPN. Wilks, who served in the same role at the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, replaces Jeff Ulbrich, who was the Jets defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2024.

Wilks, who replaces Jeff Ulbrich as the Jets’ defensive coordinator, also has head coaching experience. He was Arizona’s coach in 2018 and was fired after the Cardinals finished 3-13. Wilks also was Carolina’s interim coach when he replaced the fired Matt Rhule in 2022 and went 6-6 with the Panthers.