The San Francisco 49ers are in the market for a new defensive coordinator, but one of their top targets won’t be making the move west-at least not this offseason.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Falcons have denied San Francisco’s request to interview secondary coach Justin Hood for a high-ranking position on their defensive staff. It’s a notable move by new Atlanta head coach Kevin Stefanski, who appears intent on maintaining continuity on the defensive side of the ball. Stefanski has already retained defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, and keeping Hood in the fold signals a clear commitment to preserving the structure that’s already in place.
From the 49ers’ perspective, the interest in Hood makes sense. With Robert Saleh departing to take the head coaching job in Tennessee, San Francisco is looking to fill a major void on its coaching staff. Hood’s name emerging in that conversation speaks volumes about how he’s viewed around the league-especially considering his relatively quick rise through the coaching ranks.
At 39, Hood has carved out an impressive path. A former Division II cornerback at Ashland University in Ohio, he’s built his coaching résumé from the ground up.
He got his start as a graduate assistant at Illinois in 2013, then took on defensive coordinator duties at Capital University the following year. From there, it was a steady climb-safeties coach at Davidson, linebackers coach at Western Carolina, and then a two-year stint coaching the secondary at Kent State.
His break into the NFL came with the Packers, where he worked as a defensive quality control coach from 2021 to 2023. That role often flies under the radar, but it’s a critical position for developing young coaching talent. Hood used that opportunity to make an impression, and in 2024, he landed in Atlanta as the Falcons’ secondary coach under then-head coach Raheem Morris.
Now, with Stefanski at the helm, the Falcons are clearly valuing Hood’s contributions enough to keep him off the interview circuit. It’s a strong vote of confidence and a sign that Atlanta sees Hood as a key piece of their defensive future.
For the 49ers, the search continues. But the fact that they targeted Hood in the first place? That’s a reminder that even in a league filled with big names and headline hires, sharp, rising minds like Hood’s are always on the radar.