Falcons’ Coordinators Reveal What Makes Kevin Stefanski Different

The Atlanta Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski to win games and get the franchise back to the postseason. But if you ask the two men who will run his offense and defense, the Falcons may have landed something more valuable – a culture-setter obsessed with preparation.

It was a common sentiment on Wednesday by offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, both of whom painted a picture of a coach driven by preparation and personal accountability.

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Rees has the unique perspective of a coach who already has experience under Stefanski, serving as a passing game specialist and tight ends coach in 2024 before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2025. He said on Wednesday that Stefanski was the reason he went to Cleveland in the first place, which made following him to Atlanta an easy decision.

“I feel so strongly about, not just the coach he is, but more importantly, the person he is that you're working for every day,” he said. “When we spoke there shortly after the season, it was something that I really wanted to explore and really wanted to be a part of.”

As far as who the man is as a coach, Rees was able to provide some more insight.

“Kev loves to game plan. I mean, that's one thing that when those early in the week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday nights, that's something that we've talked a lot about over the last couple of years,” Rees explained. “Those are really fun times as coaches when you're putting the plan together, and then you get to Sunday, and you see it come to fruition. That's the most rewarding part of coaching and seeing players have that success. Kev's been an excellent coach in this league for a long time. But, when you peel the curtain back, and you see him collectively work with the group to put the game plan together, it's pretty exciting.”

Ulbrich, on the other hand, has never coached alongside Stefanski, but he has coached against him on various occasions.

“Well, I know I just never had a good day against him,” Ulbrich joked. “Tremendous respect for him as a coach and a leader of men. He's one of those guys, a rare guy in this business, where you can't find anyone in this business that says something bad about this man. Not just the football coach, but the human being that he is, the leader that he is, the teammate that he is.

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“Everything has been off the charts good, and every day, that gets reaffirmed when I'm around him. I had no real prior relationship with him, but everything that I've been exposed to so far has gotten me super excited about what he's going to teach me, and how he's going to make me a better coach, and better man.”

If Rees and Ulbrich are right, the Falcons hired a good offensive mind, but also a culture-builder and talent multiplier who could snap the franchise out of an eight-year drought. For a franchise searching for sustained stability, that may be the most important trait of all.