The Atlanta Falcons have added two more assistants to their coaching staff, hiring Nate Ollie as the defensive line coach and Mike Rutenberg as the defensive passing game coordinator on Friday afternoon.
Both coaches worked with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in New York. Ollie served one year with Ulbrich in 2021 before taking the Colts defensive line coach job in 2022. Rutenberg served as the Jets linebackers coach since 2021.
OFFICIAL: Mike Rutenberg has been named the Falcons’ defensive passing game coordinator, while Nate Ollie has been tapped as the defensive line coach.
Both served with the Falcons’ new defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, at the Jets.
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Ollie spent the 2024 season as the assistant defensive line coach for the Houston Texans. The Texans finished fourth in the NFL with 49 sacks last season. For comparison, the Falcons finished 31st in the league with 31 sacks.
Rutenberg spent the last four seasons as the Jets linebackers coach (2021-2024) after serving one year as the San Francisco 49ers passing game specialist in 2020.
From 2013-2019, Rutenberg worked as an assistant coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He served three years as the Jaguars assistant defensive backs coach (2013-15) and later became the assistant linebackers coach from 2018 to 2019.
The Falcons fired defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers after an underwhelming season in Atlanta. The defense finished 23rd in points allowed and 23rd in total yards, while ranking 31st in total sacks last season.
