Woody Johnson believes coaching change will give Jets 'new energy'; “Leads to more wins”

Jets Chairman and CEO Woody Johnson spoke to reporters after parting ways with Robert Saleh and naming Jeff Ulbrich as interim coach on Tuesday morning and believes the decision will provide a boost to the Jets (2-3).

“This is one of the most talented teams the New York Jets have ever assembled,” Johnson said. “I wanted to give this team the best possible chance to win this season. I feel like we needed to go in a different direction and that's why I did that today. The change that we made today, that I made, I think will bring new energy and positivity that will lead to more wins from now on.

“I've been doing this for 25 years now. This is probably the best team I've ever had. I just felt like going in a new direction and making Jeff Ulbrich the interim head coach was the best way to go. I thought that would bring out the best in this team and give us the best chance to do what we do “What everyone wants is to go to the playoffs.”

Johson said he spoke with general manager Joe Douglas about the decision to go with Saleh, who had a 20-36 record since being hired in 2021, but it was Johnson's decision alone.

“When you make a decision like that, it’s not an easy decision,” Johnson said. “It took a lot of soul-searching. When I look back on my experience in sports, and particularly with the New York Jets for 25 years, I took it very seriously. That's why I made a decision. I thought and think that it will be like this. This will make us more competitive and achieve the goals that the team and I want to achieve.

“As we have this new leadership, I think it will bring out the best in these players. When the team realizes what opportunity this represents for them, I think they will reach a level we haven't seen in a long time.”

The move marks the first midseason head coaching change since Johnson purchased the team in 2000. Ulbrich, who has served as the team's defensive coordinator since 2021 and has produced a top-five unit in each of the past two seasons, will serve as interim coach. Ulbrich, who played with the 49ers from 2000 to 2009, has head coaching experience and served in that role at the Senior Bowl last January.

“I’ve seen him as a coach, I know the relationship he has with the players and they respect him,” Johnson said. “They trust him. I saw it at halftime and I saw it in practice. When he talks, they listen to him in a way that probably reflects the fact that he played the sport for 10 years as a linebacker, what.” He brings that knowledge and respect and knowledge to the game in a way , which I think will be very good for players in the future.

When asked about the impact of the coaching change on an offense that has averaged 251 yards and 13 points per game over the last two weeks, Johnson expressed his belief in Ulbrich's transition from focusing just on defense to focusing on the entire team.

“I think one of the reasons I decided to change coaches at the highest level is precisely because we have to find ways to win,” he said. “We’re not going to find these ways by doing the same thing over and over again.

“The changes we need to make on offense, we will implement on offense and defense. We will try to get better. This is a new opportunity for all of us.”