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The New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Saleh, ESPN's Adam Schefter initially reported on Tuesday (October 8) morning following confirmation from the team.
"This morning, I informed Robert Saleh that he will no longer serve as the Head Coach of the Jets," team owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. "I thanked him for his hard work these past three-and-a-half years and wished him and his family well moving forward. 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."
Johnson confirmed that defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich would serve as interim head coach. Saleh, 45, went 20-36 during his tenure as the Jets' head coach, which includes a 2-3 start to the 2024 season.
New York finished last in the AFC East during Saleh's first two seasons and third in 2023, having entered with high expectations following the acquisition of four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on the team's opening drive.
Rodgers has played in all five of the Jets' games in 2024, but struggled in losses to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday (October 6) and Denver Broncos in Week 4. Saleh also sparked controversy by wearing the Lebanese flag on his arm in the wake of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah, which has a stronghold in south Beirut, Lebanon's capital city.
Saleh, the son of Lebanese immigrants, had previously worn a similar patch last October and was spotted with the flag again on his hoodie sleeve during his team's loss in London on Sunday. The Jets will host the AFC East Division rival Buffalo Bills for a Monday Night Football matchup at MetLife Stadium in Week 6.