Atlanta Falcons add Mike Rutenberg to coaching staff

Staff Reports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons have named Mike Rutenberg as defensive pass game coordinator and Nate Ollie as defensive line coach, the team announced Friday.  

Rutenberg comes to Atlanta with 15 years of coaching experience in the NFL. Most recently, he spent four seasons (2021-24) with the New York Jets as the linebackers coach. In his time in New York, Rutenberg was part of the only defense in the league to rank in the top five of total defense in each of the last three seasons, finishing fourth in 2022 before finishing third in both 2023 and 2024. Over the previous three seasons combined, the Jets’ defense ranked No. 1 in total defense (305.7 yards per game), No. 1 in passing defense (183.5 yards per game), No. 5 in tackles for loss (269), No. 8 in sacks (136) and No. 9 in scoring defense (21.1 points per game). In addition to finishing third in total defense in 2024, the Jets defense was fourth in passing defense, allowing only 192.6 yards per game while ranking seventh in sacks per pass attempt at a rate of 8.25 percent. 

Prior to joining the Jets, Rutenberg served as the passing game specialist (2020) with the San Francisco 49ers. The Chevy Chase, Md., native coached college football for seven seasons, first with UCLA (2006-08) and then with New Mexico State (2009-12). Rutenberg was named the defensive coordinator at the University of San Diego (2013) before he returned to the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars initially as the assistant defensive backs coach (2013-15), then as a defensive assistant (2016-17), before serving as the assistant linebackers coach (2018-19). Rutenberg originally entered the league with Washington as a player personnel intern (2013). 

Ollie arrives in Atlanta with 11 years of coaching experience, including six in the NFL. He most recently served as the assistant defensive line coach for the Houston Texans in 2024, following two seasons (2022-23) as the defensive line coach of the Indianapolis Colts and three seasons as the assistant defensive line coach for the New York Jets (2021) and Philadelphia Eagles (2019-20).  

In 2024, Ollie guided Houston’s defensive line unit to rank fourth in the NFL in sacks (49) and yards per play (5.1). In 2023, Ollie led an Indianapolis defensive line unit that finished fifth in the NFL in sacks (51), setting a single-season franchise record. Indianapolis also finished fifth in tackles for loss (94). Additionally, the Colts were the only team in the league to record at least five sacks in three or more consecutive games that season. Under Ollie’s tutelage, DT DeForest Buckner was named to his third Pro Bowl after finishing with eight sacks. Buckner was one of four Colts to record at least seven sacks on the season, joining DE Samson Ebukam (9.5), DE Dayo Odeyingbo (8.0) and DE Kwity Paye (8.5), who all finished with career highs in sacks as the Colts were the only team in the NFL to have four such players. The defense also finished tied for fifth in forced fumbles with 17.  

Prior to joining the NFL coaching ranks, Ollie coached at Eastern Kentucky (2018) and Tennessee (2015-17).