The Atlanta Falcons have expanded their search for a new defensive coordinator, adding Green Bay Packers pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley to their list of candidates.
The vacancy arose after the Falcons parted ways with Jimmy Lake on January 11, following just one season in the role. Until now, the team had largely focused on well-known names in their search. On Thursday night, however, Atlanta announced through a press release that they had conducted a virtual interview with Ansley.
Ansley is the fourth candidate to be interviewed for the position. He joins a pool that includes Lou Anarumo, the former defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals; Don “Wink” Martindale, currently the University of Michigan’s defensive coordinator; and Jeff Ulbrich, who previously served as the New York Jets’ defensive coordinator and interim head coach. In addition, Atlanta is scheduled to meet with Steve Wilks, a former defensive coordinator for both the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers, next week.
Although Derrick Ansley brings coordinator experience to the table, his NFL track record has some nuances. Before joining the Packers, he served as the Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator during the 2023 season. However, during that time, head coach Brandon Staley retained play-calling responsibilities. The Chargers struggled defensively under this setup, ranking 24th in scoring defense, 28th in total yards allowed, and 21st in takeaways.
The situation changed after Staley was fired in Week 15, and Ansley took over play-calling duties for the final three games of the 2023 season. During this stretch, the Chargers faced the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs. While both the Broncos and Chiefs started backup quarterbacks (Jarrett Stidham and Blaine Gabbert, respectively), Ansley’s defense showed improvement, allowing an average of 309 yards and 17.7 points per game.
Beyond his brief stint as a play-caller, Ansley has an extensive coaching background, primarily focused on defensive backs. His career began at Hampton University, where he coached from 2005 to 2009. He later held defensive backs coaching roles at the University of Tennessee (2012), the University of Kentucky (2013-2015), and the University of Alabama (2016-2017). His NFL journey started in 2018 with the Oakland Raiders, where he continued working with defensive backs. Ansley returned to Tennessee as the defensive coordinator for the Volunteers from 2019 to 2020, before rejoining the NFL as the Chargers’ defensive backs coach in 2021.
Ansley, 43, is originally from Tallassee, Alabama, and played college football at Troy University. During his collegiate career as a defensive back, he recorded an impressive 19 interceptions over four seasons.
The Falcons’ search for their next defensive coordinator remains active, with Ansley becoming a notable addition to the candidate pool.
