The New York Jets made a surprising move on Tuesday, with the team deciding to fire head coach Robert Saleh. And, in turn, the Jets will name defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as their interim head coach for the rest of the season.
The firing of Saleh is only surprising because of the timing. The fact of the matter is, Saleh hasn't had much success over three-plus seasons at the helm, with the Jets sporting a 20-36 record in that span.
Saleh could blame his struggles on a bad quarterback situation the past three years, but that excuse was no longer valid in 2024, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers is healthy and the Jets are still struggling with a 2-3 record after five games. Adding to that, it didn't seem like Saleh and Rodgers were on the same page.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets are going to name their defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, as the interim head coach for the rest of the season.
Here's some background on Ulbrich.
Who is Jeff Ulbrich?
Ulbrich was hired by the Jets in 2021, the same year Saleh was brought in. Prior to his stint with the Jets, Ulbrich got his start in the NFL coaching ranks as the Seattle Seahawks' assistant special teams coordinator from 2010-11.
After that, he went to UCLA, where he served as the Bruins' linebacker coach and special teams coordinator (2012-2014). Ulbrich returned to the NFL as the Atlanta Falcons' linebackers coach (2015-2019), and was then promoted to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator in 2020 while keeping his linebackers coach job.
Ulbrich played in the NFL, also. He was a member of the San Francisco 49ers for 10 seasons, where he played inside linebacker. Ulbrich appeared in 120 games (75 starts) and finished his career with 5.5 sacks and 501 combined tackles.
Over his first three seasons in charge of the Jets' defense, Ulbrich's unit finished 32nd, fourth and 12th in points allowed. In 2024, New York ranks seventh in that category.
