According to a story from late last week, the San Francisco 49ers considered hiring Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo their DC. He wasn’t the only AFC coordinator the Niners were interested in.
Jeff Ulbrich, the New York Jets’ defensive coordinator, was a well-known name who made sense for the Niners despite already having a job.
Ulbrich was born in San Jose, attended high school in Morgan Hill, and studied at the University of San Jose. The 47-year-old was picked by the Niners in the third round in 2000 after transferring from the University of Hawaii. He was a linebacker for the 49ers until 2009.
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According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, San Francisco approached the Jets about Ulbrich’s availability.
So, while there were “internal discussions,” which might have included anything from writing Ulbrich’s name as a contender on a piece of paper, it does not appear like he was ever close to being the 49ers defensive coordinator.
Is this the final name we see for a possible candidate? It’s all over now, as the 49ers have a coordinator and an associate head coach.
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