Falcons Name Two New Assistants to Defensive Coaching Staff

The Atlanta Falcons continued to add fresh faces to their defensive coaching staff.

The team announced on Jan. 24 that they hired Mike Rutenberg as defensive passing game coordinator and Nate Ollie as defensive line coach. Rutenberg and Ollie will coach under new Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

Both coaches previously worked under Ulbrich with the New York Jets.

Rutenberg was the Jets' linebackers coach for four years while Ulbrich ran the team's defense from 2021-24. Rutenberg remained on the New York staff through the end of the 2024 season, in which Ulbrich finished as the team's interim head coach.

Ollie was the Jets assistant defensive line coach in 2021. He left to become the defensive line coach for the Indianapolis Colts before the 2022 season. Last season, Ollie was an assistant defensive line coach with the Houston Texans.

The Jets defense struggled with all three coaches on staff in 2022, finishing last in yards and points allowed. They were also 31st in takeaways. But the Jets defense jumped to fourth in yards and points yielded just a year later in 2022.

From 2022-24, the Jets were ranked fourth or better in yards allowed every season. They were also 12th or better in points yielded twice.

Rutenberg began his NFL coaching career with the then Washington Redskins as a player personal intern in 2003. He was then an assistant to head coach Joe Gibbs the following two seasons.

After a seven-year college stint at three different schools, Rutenberg returned to the NFL as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2013. He coached on the Jaguars defensive staff for six seasons.

In 2020, he was the San Francisco 49ers passing game specialist before joining the Jets staff in 2021.

Ollie is less experienced, having began his NFL coaching career in 2019. He served as the Philadelphia Eagles assistant defensive line coach for two years before coaching under Ulbrich in New York.

Prior to 2019, Ollie coached middle school and college football.

Ollie will replace Jay Rodgers as Atlanta's defensive line coach while Rutenberg will fill a new position on the Falcons coaching staff.

The Atlanta coaching staff's biggest responsibility in 2025 will be generating more of a pass rush. The Falcons were 31st in sacks during 2024.

They were also 22nd in passing yards allowed and 31st in passing touchdowns yielded. The Falcons run defense was a little better. Atlanta finished 15th in rushing yards allowed and 20th in yards per carry yielded.