Jeff Ulbrich, the recently named the Jets’ interim head coach after Woody Johnson fired Robert Saleh, said Tuesday that he does not “foresee any changes” to the offensive coaching staff, but the roles for that side of the ball could be changing.
When asked about a potential change to his staff, Ulbrich said he has “tremendous respect for this offensive staff… every single guy on it.”
The interim HC said the staff will all be here for New York’s next game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night and “they’re gonna do an amazing job.”
“Saying that, this has been four hours fresh for me in taking this role on, everything will be assessed: the process, the responsibilities, etc.” Ulbrich said.
When asked about making a change to who would be calling the plays – a role offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett currently holds and passing-game coordinator Todd Downing had experience doing in the past – Ulbrich seemed to indicate a change could be coming.
“We’re going to take a deep dive on that in the next 36 hours and look at every possibility,” he said. “But I do not see changes in necessarily titles and positions. As far as responsibilities and the process itself, we’re gonna take a hard look at that.”
SNY’s NFL Insider Connor Hughes reported that despite the offense’s struggles, Saleh was not going to fire Hackett, but was planning to alter the OC’s gameday responsibilities and that included taking play-calling duties away and giving them to Downing.
Hughes reported that Saleh made that decision on Tuesday morning and, “roughly five minutes later, he was called into Woody Johnson’s office and fired.”
When asked about his relationship with Aaron Rodgers, the new HC said he has a “good relationship” with the 40-year-old quarterback.
“He’s one of those guys that has unbelievable experience and he’s seen this game at the highest level for a long time,” Ulbrich said. “So he’s a guy with a lot of ideas and really positive feedback about a lot of different things, whether it be meetings, practice, game planning, scheduling, all of it.
“He will be a vital resource for me in that way, for sure.”
Ulbrich said the quarterback will be “a part of a lot of conversations” when it comes to potential changes to the offensive responsibilities and roles.
“Obviously, he has a lot of insight regarding this offensive system and he’s been a part of it when it’s been operating at the highest level,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Johnson called the 2024 squad “one of the most talented teams that has ever been assembled” by the Jets, an assessment Ulbrich agreed with.
“We have been underperforming for whatever the reason and we’re gonna take a hard look at all of it,” he said, adding later: “We’re not playing to our potential, we’re not. We’re too talented to be putting the product we put out there the last couple weeks, especially. We gotta take a hard look at everything and be honest with ourselves.”
Johnson added that the former NFL linebacker has the “respect” and “trust” of the players from watching him coach and that he believed he was the right person to elevate to the new role because he “would get the most out of this team and give us the best chance that we all want to have, which is going to the playoffs.”
“At the end of the day, I’m gonna be me,” Ulbrich said of his coaching style, “and, I have tremendous love and respect for this team, for this roster, for this locker room, for this group of coaches. And I really believe we lock arms, we commit to the process that we put in place and we will have success, we will.”
In his first time speaking with the team, Ulbrich said that his message was that “it’s time to lock arms” and that is “us against everybody.”
“With the talent that we have in that room, in my opinion, we have everything that we need to be successful and have the season that we know that we’re capable of having,” he said of his message.
Ulbrich began his first news conference as interim head coach by “making it very clear my love, my respect, my regard for Coach Saleh and all that he’s done here.”
“Great gratitude for him bringing me here, great gratitude for staying by me, especially for the people who had been here for year one when me we didn’t play the level of defense necessary to win games,” Ulbrich said. “And he stuck with me and had great belief in me. And the success I have today he’s a huge part of that. And I got tremendous respect and love for his family as well.
“Today’s an exciting day for myself form the standpoint in getting this opportunity, but at the same time heavy in my heart for Robert.”
Ulbrich said it has been a “whirlwind” as he went from game planning as defensive coordinator for Bills QB Josh Allen.
“It’s gonna take me some time because I’ve gotta pull away from the defensive coordinator position and really look at this thing from a global perspective, so in the process of doing that now,” he said.
Ulbrich added that “everything is on the table” as he takes a “hard look” at whether he will continue to serve as DC or hand off those responsibilities to a member of this staff.
