Falcons interviewing Steelers secondary coach Grady Brown for defensive coordinator role

Atlanta’s continuing to go beyond the expected names in their search for a defensive coordinator.

Add another unexpected name to the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator search. After interviewing Packers defensive passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley, the Falcons will reportedly interview Steelers secondary coach Grady Brown for the opening created by the firing of Jimmy Lake.

That news comes from NFL insider Tom Pelissero, who reported it a short time ago.

Brown has spent four seasons as Pittsburgh’s secondary coach, and before that either had that position or defensive coordinator jobs with a host of college programs, including Houston, South Carolina, and McNeese State. In Brown’s second season in Pittsburgh, the Steelers tied for the league lead in interceptions, but the pass defense has not been the Steelers’ strength since 2021, as they’ve finished a little worse than league average every year since in terms of yardage and in the same ballpark in scoring.

Unlike Ansley, who has a year of defensive coordinator experience with the Chargers, Brown does not have that level of experience at the pro level. Given Atlanta’s seeming preference for more seasoned candidates in their early round of hiring, it’s difficult to view Brown as a favorite given that Lake struggled without that level of experience. If I may idly speculate, though, it may not be a given that every coach on the defensive staff is returning, and the Falcons could fill their currently nonexistent defensive passing game coordinator role with either Ansley or Brown if they’re willing and able to jump under a new coordinator.

We’ll see, though, as the Falcons have certainly surprised us before.