The San Francisco 49ers will look different next season. And maybe not just a little bit. After the firing of defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. are looking for new leadership on the defensive side of the ball.

The San Francisco 49ers’ list of potential defensive coordinator candidates appears to be short, and it got shorter Saturday when NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported the Atlanta Falcons were set to hire Jeff Ulbrich as their new defensive coordinator.

One of those names is interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. Originally the defensive coordinator but promoted to the role after New York fired Robert Saleh, Ulbrich went 3-9 at the helm and failed to turn around the Jets season. After interviewing for the head coaching job last week, Ulbrich didn't want to wait to be told no by New York.

It was not long ago that the NFL world was praising the San Francisco 49ers. After demoting Nick Sorensen from his defensive coordinator role and firing special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, a sigh of relief occurred.

The Bucs’ misfortune would be the 49ers’ gain since Saleh appears lined up to take the 49ers DC job if he doesn’t land a head coaching gig. He also had interviews lined up with the Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, but his name hasn’t been tied as heavily to those clubs as it has to the Jaguars.

Potential 49ers defensive coordinator candidate Jeff Ulbrich was hired by the Atlanta Falcons for the same role.

New Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich could bring several familiar faces with him after four years with the New York Jets.

The clock is ticking on the San Francisco 49ers to decide on their defensive coordinator hire. It has been two weeks since they relieved Nick Sorensen of his du

The San Francisco 49ers search for a new defensive coordinator has not necessarily gotten off the ground. Robert Saleh is seen as the top candidate.

The San Francisco 49ers have targeted Robert Saleh to return to the team and fill their defensive coordinator vacancy, but his status becomes more in question as the Jacksonville Jaguars have requested a second interview with him.

While they acted quickly in interviewing former New York Jets head coach and 49ers DC Robert Saleh, and Detroit Lions defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, their search appears to have stalled. Now they’re running out of options.