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Falcons axe 3 defensive assistants in the wake of the Ryan Nielsen hiring

With Dean Pees leaving and Ryan Nielsen just hired as the new Falcons’ defensive coordinator, it was always likely we’d see some turnover in the defensive coaching staff. It appears that turnover is happening immediately, as the Falcons have announced three firings on Friday night.

At the bottom of their story about the team hiring Nielsen, the Falcons announced they’ve parted ways with secondary coach Jon Hoke, defensive line coach Gary Emanuel, and outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino. All three spots are likely to be filled by candidates that Nielsen hand selects, and it leaves respected linebackers coach Frank Bush as the sole holdover position coach under Nielsen’s staff.