Jeff Ulbrich, the newest acting king of the New York Jets, took over after Robert Saleh was given the boot. Every coach in the NFL dreads the day he might get released, or the opposite, waits for the opportunity to become a head coach someday. And it looks like Jeff Ulbrich’s day is here and now.
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The Jets hired Ulbrich in 2021 as the defensive coordinator for the team under Robert Saleh. But after the former HC’s disastrous 20-36 record over four seasons became too massive to ignore, the DC was given the promotion of a lifetime, at least until a new head coach steps into the picture.
Though Ulbrich is a highly decorated coach with his resume being full to the brim with teams like the Seahawks, the Falcons, UCLA, and now the Jets, he used to be a linebacker himself. While he didn’t see as much success as a player as he did as a coach, he still boasts of a nine-year legacy with the San Francisco 49ers. Ulbrich studied at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, out of which the San Francisco 49ers drafted him in the 3rd of the 2000 NFL Draft.
During his professional NFL career, he recorded 501 tackles with 5.5 sacks and 6 forced fumbles. Ulbrich could’ve gone on to be a decent player in the NFL if not been riddled with constant injuries. In fact, he retired in 2009 after suffering a concussion, which made it highly risky for him to step back into the gridiron ever again.
But now he has a chance to solidify his success as a coach on the sidelines and fulfill dreams he couldn’t as a player. It’s still unsure whether he’ll don the HC hat for a long time or not, but for the time being, the Jets have placed their full faith in his capabilities.
Will Jeff Ulbrich and his coaching record fare well for the Jets?
Jeff Ulbrich has been a part of four teams in the span of his 14-year coaching career. He began his journey with the Seattle Seahawks in 2010 as a special teams assistant but didn’t make any notable achievements there. He then went on to join the UCLA Bruins in 2012 as a linebackers and special teams coach and witnessed his defensive unit ranking third in the Pac-12, marking his first real success as a coach.
Ulbrich found his new nest with the Atlanta Falcons in 2015, where he was hired as a linebackers coach yet again. In 2016, he reached the epitome of his career when the Falcons reached Super Bowl LI but tragically lost to the Patriots.
The latest stop in his journey led him to the New York Jets in 2021 under Robert Saleh, and now that the head coach has been released. All hopes and dreams lie heavy on the shoulders of Ulbrich, who is expected to step up and lead the charge of the Jets that hasn’t won even a division championship since 2002.
