The New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Saleh — a stunning development just five games into the 2024 campaign, according to reports.
Saleh, who had been Jets head coach since 2021, was let go two days after Gang Green’s disappointing a 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London — a game in which star quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions.
The Jets, who had high expectations this season with Rodgers back under center following his 2023 season-ending injury, have announced that defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Ulbrich has helped develop the Jets’ defense into one of the top units in the NFL since joining the team in 2021.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported Saleh’s dismissal.
According to multiple reports, Saleh reported to Jets facilities on Tuesday and was met by team owner Woody Johnson, who promptly notified him that he was being let go. He was then escorted out of the building by team security, with no meeting to inform the players that a change was being made.
“This was not an easy decision, but we are not where we should be given our expectations,” Johnson said in a statement, “and I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction.”
Saleh told Fox’s Jay Glazer that he was “blindsided” by the decision and “disappointed he wasn’t going to be given the opportunity to get things going with what he said is a very good roster.”
As for Ulbrich, Johnson and the Jets hope his success as defensive coordinator translates into excellence as interim head coach. In each of the last three seasons, the Jets’ defense has ranked in the NFL’s top five in fewest yards allowed. They also ranked fourth in points allowed in 2022 and currently rank fifth this season.
“[Ulbrich] is a tough coach who has the respect of the coaches and players on this team,” Johnson said in a statement. “I believe he along with the coaches on this staff can get the most out of our talented team, and attain the goals we established this offseason.”
During a press conference Tuesday, Ulbrich expressed gratitude to Saleh for bringing him into the Jets organization, and said he was a huge part of the success he has had. Yet Ulbrich acknowledged that the Jets have been “underperforming for whatever the reason, and we’re going to take a hard look at all of it.”
“At the end of the day, I’m gonna be me. I have tremendous love and respect for this roster, for this locker room, for this group of coaches,” he said. “I really believe that if we lock arms and we commit to the process that we put in place, we will have success.”
Key to any Jets turnaround under Ulbrich will be fixing New York’s lagging offense even with Rodgers, a future Hall of Famer, under center. Gang Green ranked 25th in the NFL in points scored this season, and in Saleh’s previous three years in charge, they ranked 29th twice and 28th.
Saleh’s tenure with the Jets ends with a 20-36 record and a .357 win percentage. The Jets have not made the playoffs since 2011, and have not had a winning season since 2015.
In fact, no Jets head coach has ended their tenure with a winning record for Gang Green since Al Groh, who went 9-7 with the 2000 Jets in his one and only season as the team’s boss.
