Cristina Ulbrich, wife of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, died Sunday following a battle with cancer. She was 49.
The Falcons organization released a statement acknowledging the loss. "Cristina was a devoted wife, mother and friend whose strength, grace and resilience touched all who knew her," the team said. "She was a constant source of love and support to Jeff, their family and the broader Falcons community."
Ulbrich was absent from Falcons training camp on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to multiple reports. He and Cristina had three children together: Samantha, Jax and Jace.
The couple met nearly three decades ago during Ulbrich's recruiting visit to Hawaii in 1997. Their relationship spanned his decade-long NFL playing career and his subsequent rise through coaching ranks across multiple organizations.
Ulbrich, 49, joined the Falcons in 2015 as a linebackers coach after spending a decade as a linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers from 2000 to 2009. He was promoted to assistant head coach and linebackers coach in 2020, and became the team's defensive coordinator in October 2020 under interim head coach Raheem Morris.
In 2021, Robert Saleh brought Ulbrich to the New York Jets as defensive coordinator. After Saleh was fired in 2024, Ulbrich was named interim head coach, finishing the season with a 3-9 record. When Morris returned to Atlanta as head coach, Ulbrich rejoined him as defensive coordinator. Though Morris was fired after one season, the Falcons retained Ulbrich while hiring Kevin Stefanski as the next head coach for the 2026 season.
Before his coaching career, Ulbrich worked with the Seattle Seahawks and served as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at UCLA.
"On behalf of the entire organization, we extend our deepest condolences to Jeff, their children and all who loved Cristina," the Falcons said. "During this incredibly difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Ulbrich family. We ask that their privacy be respected as they grieve this profound loss, and we stand with them in support and remembrance of Cristina's life."
