Jan. 22, 2026, 12:54 p.m. PT
The San Francisco 49ers tried making an addition to their coaching staff, but failed after their attempt to interview a candidate was denied.
NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero on Thursday reported the 49ers requested an interview with Atlanta Falcons secondary coach Justin Hood. San Francisco was eyeing what Pelissero referred to as a “high-ranking staff position.” The Falcons denied the 49ers the opportunity to interview the coach despite new head coach Kevin Stefanski stepping in for the recently-fired Raheem Morris. Stefanski kept Morris’s defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, who is trying to keep his staff together.
It’s not immediately clear what the position was, although it’s unlikely the 49ers were aiming to bring in Hood as a defensive coordinator since the Falcons couldn’t have blocked what would’ve been a clear-cut promotion.
The club may have been looking for a defensive passing game coordinator or something in that realm. Safeties coach Daniel Bullocks currently holds that title. They may also be looking to hire a new assistant head coach of defense since it sounds like last year’s assistant head coach of defense, Gus Bradley, is a top internal candidate for their vacant defensive coordinator position.
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