Ollie is an intriguing candidate for Atlanta, which badly needs someone to develop their young would-be starters.
The hiring of Jeff Ulbrich is not exactly being received with glee, an understandable thing when you’re bringing back the interim defensive coordinator from a forgettable 2020 season to join Raheem Morris, who was the interim head coach during that forgettable 2020 season and who is fresh off an 8-9 2024 campaign. That’s a long, run-on sentence, but there’s a lot going on there that isn’t exactly delightful on paper for Atlanta Falcons fans wary of the same old stuff.
The Falcons can make sure we forget about our initial reactions if they can actually get this defense to improve considerably. As we’ve all written and said here at The Falcoholic, that’s not exactly a given, considering the shaky state of the defense and the limited resources currently available to better it. The Falcons will have to get more out of what they have, and on that front, the first candidate we’ve seen linked to their defensive line coach vacancy is actually a very intriguing one.
The #Falcons are interviewing #Texans assistant DL coach Nate Ollie for their vacant DL job, source says. Ollie, who was worked alongside new DC Jeff Ulbrich with the #Jets in 2021, helped coach up Houston’s front to 49 sacks, tied for fourth-most in the league this season.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 20, 2025
Nate Ollie has overseen some impressive defensive line performances in recent years, particularly from a pass rush perspective. Not only did Houston put up 49 sacks, as Mike Garafolo noted, but they did so after losing leading sack artist Jonathan Greenard and actually added five sacks from 2023. The addition of Danielle Hunter helped with that, but Ollie was part of a coaching staff that oversaw real growth from Will Anderson and others.
Ollie was also the defensive line coach for the Colts in 2022 and 2023, when they put up 44 and 51 sacks, most of which came from the team’s defensive front. They cratered to the tune of just 36 sacks this past season, and Ollie was also a well-regarded assistant defensive line coach for the Jets in Jeff Ulbrich’s first season there and the Eagles from 2019-2020. The familiarity with Ulbrich likely makes him a strong candidate, but his presence on coaching staffs that oversaw terrific pass rushes is what makes him an interesting hire for this Falcons team.
Remember, this team will go into next year needing more from Grady Jarrett, David Onyemata, or both, depending on who comes back. They’ll want to ensure second-year success for Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus, as well as any rookie investments and free agents they add to the line. Getting a good coach in the building who has a track record of working with effective defensive lines could be a genuine difference-maker, and based on the caliber of lines Ollie has worked with, he may just fit the bill.
We’ll see if he’s hired, but on first blush I like Ollie as a potential addition for a defensive line that badly needs help.