The New York Jets will play their first game since firing head coach Robert Saleh on Monday Night Football vs. the Buffalo Bills. Ahead of the post-Saleh era, here’s a recap of owner Woody Johnson’s franchise-altering decision and one that will have domino effects across the NFL next hiring cycle.
When Did Robert Saleh Get Fired?
Saleh was fired on the morning of Tuesday, October 8, two days after the Jets lost to the Minnesota Vikings in London to fall to 2-3. According to ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini, Saleh was fired at 10:03 a.m. ET. after Jets Owner and Chairman Woody Johnson and his brother, Vice Chairman Christopher Johnson, walked into Saleh’s office to deliver the news.
Cimini’s report notes that there was no initial formal announcement from the team, with players finding out about the news the same way the rest of the general public did — a tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter just five minutes later that set off a chain reaction of different forms of communication, alerts, and stories.
ESPN sources: Jets fired HC Robert Saleh.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 8, 2024
In fact, Cimini reports that several players, including tight end Tyler Conklin and offensive tackle Tyron Smith, who were in the training room at the same time, found out when their phones started buzzing.
Cimini notes that other players, such as offensive tackle Morgan Moses, got a phone alert while he was working out at the facility. Center Joe Tippman saw it via his family group text while headed to the facility.
“It started as like a scene out of ‘John Wick,’ when he becomes excommunicado and everybody at the Continental gets a buzz on their phone,” Aaron Rodgers told Cimini. “That’s literally how it was: Phone starts buzzing, and you’re faced with the reality.”
Saleh is not the first coach to be fired upon returning from a loss in London. Former Raiders and now Saints coach Dennis Allen was fired in 2014 following a loss to the Dolphins, which dropped the Raiders to 0-4.
The next year, the same Dolphins team lost to the Jets, costing Joe Philbin his job and leading to Dan Campbell being named Miami’s interim head coach for the rest of the 2015 season. Campbell is now the head man for the Detroit Lions.
Who Fired Robert Saleh?
Woody Johnson said he was solely responsible for the decision to fire Saleh, noting that it was based on Saleh’s four-plus-season body of work rather than the Jets’ two most recent losses.
In his statement, Johnson said, “This morning, I informed Robert Saleh that he will no longer serve as the Head Coach of the Jets. I thanked him for his hard work these past three-and-a-half years and wished him and his family well moving forward.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 8, 2024
“This was not an easy decision, but we are not where we should be given our expectations, and I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction.
“Jeff Ulbrich will serve as our Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season. He is a tough coach who has the respect of the coaches and players on this team. 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.”
Johnson has been the Jets’ chairman since acquiring the franchise in 2000. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom after his appointment in 2017. This was his first in-season coaching change under his ownership tenure.
Why Did Robert Saleh Get Fired?
Johnson claimed, “I just think we can do better,” according to Cimini’s reporting. Saleh ended up with a record of 20-36 (.357), the worst in Jets history among their 10 coaches with 40+ games.
Saleh’s background is on defense, as he was the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator before taking the Jets job. In that respect, his side of the ball succeeded. The Jets have ranked top-four in scoring defense each of the last three seasons, including second this season at the time of Saleh’s firing.
However, a head coach is responsible for the entire team’s infrastructure, and the offensive foundation was never in place. Under Saleh, the Jets ranked last in scoring offense, 31st in yards per game, and 31st in yards per play.
Last season was considered a write-off after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles just four snaps into the season, but the Jets offense has only marginally improved this year. Entering their Monday night game, the Jets ranked 25th in scoring offense and 29th in yards per play, even with Rodgers healthy the whole season. That lack of meaningful improvement spelled the end for Saleh in New York.
How Did Robert Saleh Get Fired?
According to Cimini’s report, Saleh was “shocked” when he was fired less than 48 hours after the Vikings loss.
This followed a meeting on September 30, the day after the Jets lost to the Broncos. Cimini notes in his report that the Johnson brothers and Jets President Hymie Elhai met with Saleh to review the progress from the season thus far. During that meeting, Cimini’s sources told him the three were out for blood.
Cimini notes that despite the warning signs, Saleh was still surprised when he was informed of the news, a conversation that lasted less than two minutes. When Saleh asked to address the team one last time, Woody Johnson denied his request.
Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz reported that security escorted Saleh out of the building without allowing him to speak to players or his assistants. Some took this out of context, so Cimini and others later clarified what happened.
Cimini said, “The Saleh/escorted-out-by-security story is a little off base. From what I gather, the head of security walked with him to his car, which is protocol. It’s not like they had to forcibly remove him from the premises or anything of that nature.”
How Did Robert Saleh React to the Firing?
The day after Saleh was fired, he released a statement thanking the players, coaches, and fans of the Jets.
“To the Jets Organization, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many incredible people,” Saleh said in a statement obtained by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. “I will always be appreciative of the love and support from everyone at 1 Jets Drive.
“To all of the players, I truly love and appreciate every single one of you. The character of the men in the locker room made coaching you guys the ultimate privilege. Through all the ups and downs, each and every one of you showed up every day and attacked every moment.
“To my fellow coaches and staff, it has been an honor to work with all of you. Every one of you were ‘all in’ and made sacrifices for one another that will never be forgotten. I wish you all the very best of luck for the remainder of the season.
“To the most passionate fan base in the NFL, thank you for embracing my family. It has been a pleasure calling New York our home and we will forever appreciate all of the memories that were created here.”
Former NFL HC Robert Saleh says he is “living the dream” after being fired by the #Jets last week.
(via @TMZ)
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 16, 2024
Saleh was recently approached by TMZ Sports and asked how he was feeling.
“Living the dream, brother,” Saleh said.
When asked if we’ll see him on a sideline again, Saleh responded, “God willing.”
Who Is the New Jets Head Coach?
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was promoted to interim head coach. We examined Ulbrich’s background ahead of his career head-coaching debut.
Ulbrich was part of Saleh’s original staff upon taking the Jets job in 2021. He has been an NFL assistant for 12 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks (2010-11), Atlanta Falcons (2015-20), and Jets (2021-24), with a stint at UCLA (2012-14) in the middle.
The Jets were Ulbrich’s first coordinator job at any level, and this will also be his first head coaching opportunity as well. Ulbrich previously had a 10-year career in the NFL as a linebacker, playing with the San Francisco 49ers from 2000-09.
Here’s a quick look at Ulbrich’s coaching career.
2010-11: Seattle Seahawks
Following the end of his playing career, Ulbrich took a coaching job with the Seattle Seahawks, serving as the assistant special teams coach for two seasons. He was part of Pete Carroll’s initial coaching staff in Seattle.
2012-14: UCLA
Ulbrich proceeded to enter the college ranks, serving as UCLA’s linebackers and special teams coach under Jim Mora Jr. Ironically, Mora was Carroll’s predecessor in Seattle, going 7-9 during his lone season as Seahawks head coach in 2009.
2015-20: Atlanta Falcons
Ulbrich returned to the NFL, this time as a linebackers coach, returning to his roots. He was an assistant on Dan Quinn’s staff and remained there until Quinn was fired in the 2020 season.
After Quinn’s dismissal, Ulbrich took on the titles of assistant head coach and interim defensive coordinator, with Raheem Morris sliding up to interim head coach.
2021-Present: New York Jets
Arthur Smith cleaned house in Atlanta when he was hired as the Falcons head coach, so Ulbrich joined Saleh’s staff in New York. Saleh and Ulbrich had previously overlapped on the 2011 Seahawks coaching staff when the former was in his first season as a defensive quality control coach.
This was Ulbrich’s first defensive coordinator job and his highest title to date until he was named interim head coach.
