The Atlanta Falcons finally have a frontrunner in their head coaching search, but not everyone is on board. With John Harbaugh off the board, Kevin Stefanski is the new apple of Matt Ryan's eye, as he will be the first candidate to conduct a second interview with the team, which will occur later tonight.
The Falcons' second interview with Stefanski was strategically planned to come before his second meeting with the Titans, which is scheduled for tomorrow. He's even started to assemble a potential coaching staff to present to the front office, which could result in Atlanta retaining Jeff Ulbrich.
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. https://t.co/7izqv1BfnW
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 17, 2026
The Dirty Birds have sought to keep Ulbrich in Atlanta for another season, but it won't come easy. Arthur Blank wants to keep him in the building, and it's hard to blame him, but it's a bit alarming if they force him on Stefanski when the final say about the new coaching staff should be his and his only.
Kevin Stefanski is planning to keep Jeff Ulbrich on staff if he becomes the Falcons' next head coach
The Falcons already blocked Ulbrich from interviewing for one DC job, and more could come. I understand wanting to keep good coaches in the building, but that shouldn't come at the expense of a new coach's vision. I want Ulbrich back too, but the only opinion that should matter is Stefanski's.
If things fall through and they allow hin to pursue other opportunities, the 48-year-old would instantly become one of the hottest names available on the defensive coordinator market. But all of this is contingent on what the next head coach wants, and Stefanski doesn't have this in the bag just yet.
It would be a surprise if Atlanta's front office was unable to get something done with two-time Coach of the Year in the coming days, but a lot has changed across the last couple of days. They are definitely in the driver's seat as one of the more attractive destinations, but it still takes two to tango.
Since it doesn't seem likely that the 43-year-old would be able to bring Jim Schwartz to Atlanta with him, Ulbrich is the next best option. He turned around the defense basically overnight, as the Falcons broke the single-season franchise record for sacks after they ranked second-to-last in sacks in 2024.
The defense was stuck in purgatory under Jimmy Lake, yet he modernized the unit. Despite not having much talent in the secondary, the pass rush picked up the slack for one of the better pass defenses. Stefanski is making the right choice, but it remains to be seen how this meeting turns out.