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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer
Raheem Morris named Jeff Ulbrich as his defensive coordinator when Morris became Atlanta Falcons interim head coach in 2020.
On Saturday, Morris, back in another stint with the Falcons, tabbed Ulbrich as his defensive coordinator yet again. He replaces Jimmy Lake, who was fired on Jan. 11 after just one season with the team.
Ulbrich, 47, had most recently been the interim head coach of the New York Jets. He took over after the firing of Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. The Jets went 3-9 after the move. Ulbrich had been the Jets defensive coordinator going back to 2021.
Under Ulbrich, the Jets defense was top five in defensive EPA in 2022 and 2023.
Morris and Ulbrich have a long history. The two were on the same staff together in Atlanta from 2015 to 2020 under head coach Dan Quinn. When Quinn was fired during the 2020 season, Morris was named interim head coach. Ulbrich became defensive coordinator.
Ulbrich played in the NFL as a linebacker for 10 seasons.
The Falcons struggled defensively at times in 2024 under Lake, who came over from the Los Angeles Rams with Morris. Atlanta had the highest opposing quarterback completion percentage (69.9%) in the league, as well as the second lowest amount of sacks (31) and QB pressure percentage (28.1%).
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