Cowboys’ defensive coordinator search takes hit following latest coaching move

During the early portion of their search for a new defensive coordinator, the Dallas Cowboys were denied permission to speak with Jeff Ulbrich, who was still under contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

Reports indicated Falcons owner Arthur Blank wanted to keep Ulbrich as their defensive coordinator, but would ultimately leave the decision in the hands of their new head coach. On Saturday, the Falcons found their coach, announcing their plan to hire Kevin Stefanski.

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With the former Cleveland Browns head coach in charge, Ian Rapoport believes Atlanta will keep Ulbrich. That means the Cowboys will never get the chance to speak with a candidate they were supposedly very high on.

The #Falcons are set to hire former #Browns coach Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach, per The Insiders.

One of the top candidates on the board, Stefanski would likely keep DC Jeff Ulbrich, as well. A coveted pairing in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/rs5C8xjDPw
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2026

Ulbrich has had a mixed bag of results as a defensive coordinator, but he's worked with some excellent defensive minds. During his tenure with the New York Jets, he worked closely with head coach Robert Saleh.

In Atlanta, he was under Raheem Morris. Ulbrich also worked with current Dallas defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams while with the Jets. Ulbrich is a well-respected coach who even spent time as the interim head coach in New York following Saleh's firing.

Cowboys defensive coordinator search will likely continue for another week, or more

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Jim Leonhard prior to the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Another domino in the search for a defensive coordinator failed to fall on Saturday. The Cowboys have been interested in Denver Broncos assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard, who is in the midst of a playoff run.

Dallas needed the Buffalo Bills to defeat Denver for Leonhard to be available for an in-person interview. That didn't happen, with the Broncos winning 33-30 in overtime.

That means the Cowboys must wait at least one more week to meet with Leonhard in person. If the Broncos make the Super Bowl, they would have to wait until after the game to officially hire him, but that doesn't feel likely since they lost quarterback Bo Nix to a broken ankle during their win over Buffalo.

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