The record of the teams he has been with has not always reflected it, but when it comes to the job he has done as a defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich still ranks among the best in the league. That is why the Dallas Cowboys were eager to speak with him about the team’s open coordinator position–and, it turns out, why the Falcons denied their request to talk to him about the job.
In four years with the Jets under Robert Saleh, Ulbrich’s defenses went from No. 32 in yardage allowed (in his first year, in 2021), to No. 4 in yards. For the three years that followed in New York, Ulbrich’s defense ranked third in yardage each season, even when Saleh was fired and Ulbrich took over as the head coach on an interim basis.
He would make the kind of “redemption” story that owner Jerry Jones says he likes in his coordinators. But it does not look like the Falcons will relent on letting him interview with Jones and the Cowboys, as Atlanta appears to want to keep Ulbrich in place for whomever the team hires as the next head coach.
Cowboys Sought Interview With Jeff Ulbrich Last Week
That’s bad news for the Cowboys, at least according to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, who wrote on Twitter/X that former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is into a second round of interviews with the Falcons. As part of that, Fowler noted, “Stefanski has done research on potentially working with Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich in Atlanta, per sources. Owner Arthur Blank would like to keep Ulbrich, who would be a top coordinator candidate on the market if available.”
The Cowboys had sought an interview with Ulbrich last week as it was opening the process of finding a replacement for fired former coach Matt Eberflus. At the time, speculation held that the Falcons could relent on Ulbrich, at least if they had landed a top candidate like Jim Harbaugh, who would insist on bringing in his own coordinators.
Now, though, it looks like potential Falcons candidates will have to get used to working with Ulbrich, and the Cowboys will need to cross him off their list.
Nine Candidates Lined Up for DC Job
Even still, it is a big list. The Cowboys held just four interviews for defensive coordinator last year before the hiring of Eberflus, but even without Ulbrich, the list of candidates stands at nine. here’s the first wave of interviewees for the Cowboys job:
- Broncos assistant and passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard.
- Minnesota Vikings pass game coordinator Daronte Jones.
- Cleveland Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda.
- Ex-Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.
- Current Cowboys defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton.
- Former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr.
- Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach and pass-game coordinator Christian Parker.
- Giants interim defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen.
- Green Bay Packers defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington.
That matches what Schottenheimer said about the defensive coordinator role back on January 7, when the Cowboys held their postseason press conference.
“We want to cast a very wide net. I want to talk to a lot of people. It’s an important decision, and it’s an important decision we’re going to get right …” Schottenheimer said. “It’s an exciting time for us because we feel like as you go through the process, it could be tedious, it could be a lot of long hours, but that’s what we love, and it’s what you have to do to get the decision right.”
Cowboys Get Bad News on ‘Top’ Coordinator Candidate