Falcons coordinator search: Lou Anarumo set to interview Thursday

If hired to replaced Jimmy Lake, Anarumo would be reunited with Bates, who started his career with the Bengals after being selected in the second round (54th overall) of the 2018 draft. Anarumo joined the Bengals staff in 2019. Bates was named to the second-team All-Pro in 2020.

Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers were fired after the Falcons went 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.

After Bates’ departure for the Falcons in free agency, the Bengals defense fell on hard times. The Bengals were ranked 25th in points allowed and yards allowed last season. In 2023, the Bengals were 21st in points allowed and 32 in yards allowed.

“I just felt like we needed a change,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said to the Cincinnati media after firing Anarumo. “I thought long and hard about it. Lou’s been doing this for six years here, and the success that we’ve had he’s been a big reason why we’ve had a lot of the success. I don’t take this lightly; put a lot of thought into it.”

Anarumo, a secondary coach by trade, started in the NFL in 2012 with the Dolphins. He was with the Dolphins from 2012-17. He was the Dolphins interim defensive coordinator in 2015.

He was the Giants defensive backs coach in 2018, before joining the Bengals.

Anarumo also coached in the college ranks at Wagner (1989), Syracuse (1990-91), Merchant Marine (1992-94), Harvard (1995-2000), Marshall (2001-03) and Purdue (2004-11).

Other candidates for Falcons defensive coordinator

Wink Martindale (interviewed Jan. 14)

The Falcons had a virtual interview with Martindale on Tuesday.

Martindale was the Giants defensive coordinator from 2022-23. He most extensive work was with Ravens from 2012-21. He was the inside linebackers coach (2012-15), linebackers coach (2016-17) and defensive coordinator (2018-21) in Baltimore.

Martindale, 61, also was the defensive coordinator with the Broncos.

He saw stops at Notre Dame, the University of Cincinnati, Western Illinois and Western Kentucky before starting his NFL coaching career in 2004.

Martindale has coached players to 22 Pro Bowl selections and 10 All-Pro picks.

Jeff Ulbrich (interviewed Jan. 15)

Ulbrich, who most recently was with the New York Jets from 2021-24, interviewed with the Falcons for their vacant defensive coordinator position Wednesday.

Ulbrich, who was the Jets’ defensive coordinator from 2021 until he was named the interim head coach this season. He played in NFL for the 49ers from 2000-09, was with the Falcons from 2015-20. He was the linebackers coach mostly and served as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach in his final season.

He helped to call the defense for part of 2019 and in 2020.

Ulbrich’s first defense with the Jets finished 32nd in the NFL in points and yards allowed in 2021. The Jets jumped to fourth in yards and points in 2022. They finished 12th in points and third in yards in 2023 and ranked 20th in points and third in yards this season.

Ulbrich worked under former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in New York. When Saleh was fired early in this season, Ulbrich was named interim.

The Jets’ problems over the past four seasons mostly were on the offense, as they moved on from quarterback Sam Darnold and cycled through Zach Wilson and Aaron Rodgers.

The Jets used a 4-3 alignment and featured a stout front anchored by former Alabama standout Quinnen Williams and a secondary that had cornerback Sauce Gardner. The Jets received strong linebacker play this season from Jamien Sherwood, who lead the Jets with 158 tackles, and Quincy Williams, who ranked second with 116 tackles.

Ulbrich, a native of San Jose, California, began his coaching career with the Seahawks as a special teams assistant from 2010-11. He spent three years in the college ranks at UCLA as the assistant head coach/linebackers/special teams (2012-13) and defensive coordinator (2014).

He jumped on the radar screen in Georgia with linebacker Roquan Smith de-committed from UCLA to play at Georgia when Ulbrich left to join the Falcons.

Also, Ulbrich was one of the supporters on the Falcons staff who advocated for the drafting of former UCLA linebacker Takkarist McKinley with the 26th overall pick in the 2017 draft. Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Watt went four picks later to the Steelers, 30th overall.

McKinley, who spent four seasons with the Falcons, played a season with the Browns (2021) and Rams (2022) He was out of the league in 2023. The Jets signed him last season, and he played in seven games.

McKinley has played 71 NFL games, with 27 starts and 20.5 sacks.

Watt has been selected to eight Pro Bowls and was the defensive player of the year in 2021. He has played and started 121 NFL games and has 108 sacks.

Steve Wilks

Former Cardinals coach Steve Wilks, who was a visitor to the Falcons’ training camp last year, is set to interview with the team for the vacant defensive coordinator position next week, according to ESPN.

Wilks, who was the head coach at Savannah State in 1999, has been a long-time NFL coordinator, most recently with the San Francisco in 2023, when the 49ers reached the Super Bowl.

He did not coach in the league this season.

Wilks was a visitor at Falcons practice in late July.

“Really respect him,” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said at the time. “We actually interviewed him (in January 2024 after coach Arthur Smith was fired). That’s exactly what that is. When you don’t have a job, you come and look at it from afar.”

Fontenot sensed Wilks wanted to join in the drills.

“I was teasing him during practice, it’s hard when you’re back there and you want to jump on the field and coach,” Fontenot said. “It was probably hard for him not getting his hands dirty. Just have a lot of respect for him. (Falcons coach) Raheem (Morris) is great about that, opening his door to coaches.

The Falcons fired first-year defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake after finishing this season 8-9 and not reaching the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.

Wilks was interviewed for the Falcons’ head coaching job before Morris was hired. Wilks also interviewed that offseason with the Chargers, who hired Jim Harbaugh instead.

“I thought it went well,” Wilks told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about his interview with the Falcons at the Super Bowl last season in Las Vegas. “Congratulations to Raheem. I think he’s going to do a tremendous job. I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a coach and even more as a person.”

Wilks, 55, made his reputation as the Panthers’ defensive coordinator under Ron Rivera. He started his coaching career at Johnson C. Smith (1995-96) and Savannah State (1997-99) after playing at Appalachian State.

He was the Cardinals’ head coach in 2018 and was the Panthers’ interim head coach in 2023 after Matt Rhule was fired.

Marvin Lewis

Lewis, who most recently was assistant head coach with the Raiders this season, is available.

Lewis was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator from 1996-2001. He was the architect of the record-setting 2000 defense that featured linebacker Ray Lewis. He was assistant head coach in Washington on Steve Spurrier’s staff in 2002. He was the Bengals’ head coach from 2003-18.

Lewis was Associated Press coach of the year in 2009.

Leslie Frazier

Frazier was the Vikings’ head coach from 2011-13. He’s been a defensive coordinator with the Bengals (2003-04), Vikings (2007-10), Bucs (2014-15) and Buffalo (2017-22). He was Seattle’s assistant head coach this season.

He sent to interview for the Cowboys head coaching position.

Dennis Allen

Allen was the Raiders’ head coach from 2012-14, was with the Saints from 2006-10 and returned to the Saints from 2015-21 as the defensive coordinator.

He set to interview with the Colts for their open defensive coordinator position.