UCLA DC Jeff Ulbrich Leaves For NFL Falcons

UCLA Defensive Coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has left the program on the heels of signing day for the Atlanta Falcons Linebackers Coach job last night.
There was a string of activity in the last three or four days regarding whether or not Ulbrich would leave for the job, and finally, last night, it was decided that he would go. Head Coach Jim Mora put up a fight, at least in public, to keep Ulbrich from leaving, but privately, one wonders how much of a fight was actually put up to keep him.
Ulbrich was often embattled in the job, and had a very public meltdown on the sideline that had him screaming at Mora at halftime of the Oregon game that was caught on camera. It would seem from an observer standpoint that Ulbrich was never a great fit at DC after being promoted to the job before last season.
According to several sources in Los Angeles, the general consensus is "good riddance" at this point, as several fans of the program and sources that cover the program would have liked to see changes with both coordinators. Noel Mazzone was considered for the Tennessee OC job that eventually went to Michigan Olympic Sports Coordinator Mike DeBord, a hire that I will question later.
Now the waiting game begins in Westwood that would already have been considered a bit of a transition season. 2014 was supposed to be a season where UCLA was supposed to compete for a national title. Regardless of finishing in the top 10 in the final rankings, UCLA was never seriously a candidate for the playoffs, and that has to be considered a disappointment by some, but not others who never believed the hype that was building as far back as July in the media.
One early name that has surfaced is former USC DC Clancy Pendergast, who has been a candidate at Washington State and Utah in the last month. Pendergast has a deep conference grounding, and would be an excellent candidate for the position, and has both extensive NFL and College experience.
It isn't widely thought that UCLA has an internal candidate for the job, however that is not impossible. Jim Mora, if he cannot find a suitable candidate, could call defensive plays himself, as his area of expertise is defense, however, that is likely not the desired outcome of this particular issue.
More on this job as word comes down.