With the Jets hiring a brand new coach quickly, Jeff Ulbrich discovered a house he’s accustomed to.
On Saturday, the Falcons employed Ulbrich as their defensive coordinator. He’ll change Jimmy Lake, who was fired on Jan. 11. Atlanta completed twenty third within the league in each factors (24.9) and yards (345.2) allowed yards per recreation.
On Monday, Ulbrich interviewed for the Jets’ everlasting coach place. He’s one in all 15 individuals who have been interviewed, however Ulbrich was all the time an extended shot to land the job.
“I wanted to thank the Johnson family for the opportunity to be the head coach of the Jets even though it was an interim basis,” Ulbrich stated on Jan. 6. It was an amazing honor. One of many nice honors of my soccer profession.
“I want to thank this fanbase. It’s one of the great fanbases in this game; passionate, all in, and I wish I could have done more for them. I want to thank the coaching staff in this building, the support staff, unbelievable in a very trying year, stayed the course and unwavering support at all times, and then finally want to thank these players because, amazing locker room in the face of real football adversity, they stayed together, they stayed the course.”
Ulbrich, 47, returns to Atlanta, the place he was a linebackers coach from 2015-19. In 2020, he was promoted to Falcons assistant head coach and later turned the staff’s defensive coordinator after Raheem Morris was named interim coach after Dan Quinn was fired.
Robert Saleh employed Ulbrich because the Jets’ defensive coordinator in 2021 after he was employed as head coach. Gang Inexperienced ranked final in yards and factors allowed in Ulbrich’s first yr as a full-time defensive play-caller. Nevertheless, from 2022-23, the Jets completed within the high 5 in yards allowed beneath Ulbrich’s management.
The Jets entered the 2024 season with excessive expectations following Aaron Rodgers’ return from a season-ending Achilles damage. Nevertheless, the staff bought off to a 2-3 begin, and on Oct. 8, Jets proprietor Woody Johnson fired Saleh and made Ulbrich the interim coach for the remainder of the season.
Johnson fired Saleh as a result of he felt just like the Jets had been underachieving. However the Jets didn’t have a lot success beneath Ulbrich, dropping 9 of their final 12 video games to complete the season 5-12.
As well as, the Jets’ protection slipped after Ulbrich maintained his duties as defensive coordinator and interim head coach. The Jets protection ranked third total in yards allowed (313.8) this season, however they completed twentieth in factors allowed (23.8), which was worse than the earlier season (20.9).
“Honestly, I didn’t get to see a whole lot of the offense,” Ulbrich stated. “I was doing a lot of defensive adjustments, especially that first half and a good part of that third quarter. So, we’ll see when I get a good look at the tape.”
Ulbrich additionally made questionable recreation administration selections at occasions. Gang Inexperienced misplaced six video games by which it led within the fourth quarter. The Jets additionally led the league in penalties dedicated in 2024 (137).
“There’s a lot of things, and as I really reflect on this, I’ll really be able to put them on paper and define them,” Ulbrich stated. “I’ve become very convicted in some of the things that I really believed in that got reinforced, why they’re important and continue to be.
“They need to be important, but at the same time there’s things that I need to improve on, and there’s things that I got to take a critical look at myself and find the spaces where I can improve those, I’m far from perfect, and I’m excited about that opportunity to really, with a fine-tooth comb evaluate every decision and everything I did in the last whatever it’s been, 10, 11 weeks.”
