Cristina Ulbrich, the wife of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, died on Sunday, July 31, 2026, after a battle with cancer, the Falcons announced.

"The Atlanta Falcons are heartbroken by the passing of Cristina Ulbrich, beloved wife of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, after her courageous battle with cancer," the team said in a statement. "Cristina was a devoted wife, mother, and friend whose strength, grace and resilience touched all who knew her. She was a constant source of love and support to Jeff, their family and the broader Falcons community."

The couple met during Ulbrich's recruiting visit to Hawaii in 1997, according to The Athletic.

Jeff Ulbrich became the Falcons' defensive coordinator this past season after serving in the same role with the New York Jets since 2021. He was part of the Falcons team that suffered the infamous 28-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI during the 2016 season, where the Patriots came back to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy in overtime.

Ulbrich joined Robert Saleh in New York in 2021 and was named interim head coach of the Jets in 2024 after Saleh was fired. Although the Jets fired Morris after one season, the Falcons retained Ulbrich as defensive coordinator while hiring Kevin Stefanski as head coach for the 2026 season.

Before coaching, Ulbrich spent 10 years as an NFL linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers from 2000 to 2009.

Sources