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

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.

The 49ers just missed out on a quality defensive coordinator candidate. Jeff Ulbrich has agreed to become the Atlanta Falcons' next 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.

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.

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.

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

The New York Jets agreed to terms with Steve Wilks to be their defensive coordinator, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Wilks is the first coordinator hired by new head coach Aaron Glenn,

The New York Jets have found their new defensive coordinator one week after former Detroit Lions DC Aaron Glenn became the team's next head coach.

The New York Jets have agreed to bring on former NFL head coach Steve Wilks as the team’s defensive coordinator under coach Aaron Glenn, according to a league source.