Saleh, who was fired in October as the New York Jets head coach five games into his fourth season, generated interest on the head-coaching front and was seen as one of the frontrunners for the Jacksonville Jaguars job. He also interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.

They wouldn’t and they won’t, Ulbrich said Monday during his introductory news conference. He said both coaches are better since that coaching staff was swept out following Ulbrich’s tenure as interim defensive coordinator under interim head coach Morris in 2020.

Jeff Ulbrich, who served as the Jets interim head coach for the final 12 games of the 2024 season, has landed a new job. The Falcons are hiring Ulbrich as their defensive coordinator . Ulbrich had been with the Jets since 2021.

Former New York Jets defensive coordinator and interim coach Jeff Ulbrich was hired by the Falcons for the role, the team announced Saturday. Ulbrich, 47, took over the Jets' top job after coach Robert Saleh was fired following a 2-3 start to the season.

The Falcons have fielded an average defense once and bad defenses many times in the past nine years. Jeff Ulbrich is part of that history.

After a thorough search, the Atlanta Falcons hired Jeff Ulbrich for their defensive coordinator vacancy on Saturday. Ulbrich returns to Atlanta where he spent six seasons as a linebackers coach (2015-2020) and one year as interim defensive coordinator in 2020.

Robert Saleh hired Ulbrich as the Jets’ defensive coordinator in 2021 after he was hired as head coach. Gang Green ranked last in yards and points allowed in Ulbrich’s first year as a full-time defensive play-caller. However, from 2022-23, the Jets finished in the top five in yards allowed under Ulbrich’s leadership.

The Jets interviewed Jeff Ulbrich for their full-time coaching position, but he was always a long shot to get the job.

The New York Jets agreed to terms with Steve Wilks to be their defensive coordinator, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Wilks is the first coordinator hired by new head coach Aaron Glenn, who was formally introduced by the Jets on Monday along with new general manager Darren Mougey.

Recently, the New York Jets took the first step toward rebuilding their franchise by hiring Aaron Glenn to be their next head coach. Glenn had previously been the defense coordinator for the Detroit Lions and was one of the most sought after names on the head coaching markets this offseason.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote the Atlanta Falcons are a team to watch with a New York Jets linebacker during 2025 free agency.