The Atlanta Falcons have filled their defensive pass game coordinator vacancy left by the departure of Mike Rutenberg, hiring Ole Miss defensive coordinator Patrick Toney for the role.
Toney was not at Ole Miss very long—he just joined earlier this year—but had spent 2023-2025 as the defensive backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to that, he was the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for Florida in 2022, the defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach for Louisiana from 2020-2021, and a safeties and defensive backs coach prior to that with multiple schools.
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The 35-year-old steps into big shoes, as Rutenberg was one of Jeff Ulbrich’s most trusted lieutenants and had coached with him in one capacity or another since 2021. Toney’s multiple years of college defensive coordinator experience actually make him a bit more seasoned in that capacity than Rutenberg was when he joined Atlanta in 2025, as Rutenberg had previously only spent time as a position coach. The important thing is that Ulbrich has identified Toney as a bright defensive mind and worthwhile hire to fill a key role for a team that hopes to build on its defensive gains in 2026, and we’ll hope Toney can deliver in this role.
Give him a warm welcome, if you would.