On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Senior NFL Insider Diana Russini reported that the New York Jets had fired head coach Robert Saleh.
The New York Jets have fired Robert Saleh, per sources
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 8, 2024
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will be the interim coach as the Jets prepare to take on the Buffalo Bills in a Monday Night Football showdown with the AFC East division lead on the line.
Despite the dust barely settling on the change, questions about the team’s head coaching job are already making their rounds around the internet, barbershops and people’s group chats.
Will the Jets stick with Ulbrich if he has a successful rest of the season, similar to Antonio Pierce with the Raiders last season? Or will owner Woody Johnson take a swing for the fences and bring in a big name to lead a team whose Super Bowl window looks to be closing quickly with an aging Aaron Rodgers?
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Examining the betting odds can give insight into who will coach the Jets next season. While the odds are not the final word in any of these scenarios, they can provide a fun tool for forecasting outcomes.
For that information, we turned to Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata (a BetMGM operation in Atlantic City). The long-time bookmaker gave us some hypothetical odds to consider as New York’s season plays out.
Here’s a look at the next Jets head coach odds, plus some thoughts from Gable and The Athletic’s NFL staff on the potential candidates.
Ben Johnson +250
Gable currently has Ben Johnson as his favorite to be the Jets’ next head coach if the team moves on from Ulbrich.
“Johnson was the most coveted of all the coordinators out there last offseason and will be highly wanted again this offseason,” Gable said. “Any team that has a coaching vacancy and isn’t looking at Johnson needs to really go under the microscope. If anyone can open up the Jets offense, it’s him.”
Mike Vrabel +400
“He is an extremely talented coach who won’t be sitting at home next season,” Gable said. “Would he be a good fit for Rodgers? We know he would be able to coach this impressive defense up.”
Bobby Slowik +450
“Slowik is another talented offensive coordinator who will be on the radar of many teams looking for a head coach this offseason,” Gable said. “He’s done some great things with C.J. Stroud and could do the same for this Jets offense.”
Jeff Ulbrich +500
“We will see if he can get this team inspired to play up to expectations,” Gable said. “I still have a lot of questions offensively. Either way, I make him 5/1 to be named permanent coach, but a lot would have to go right for him the remainder of the season.”
Bill Belichick +850
“He still would like to get one more crack at it, but it’s just a matter of finding the right fit,” Gable said. “It would be interesting to see him getting back into the same division and taking on the Patriots as a bit of revenge on Robert Kraft.”
🚑🫛
EMERGENCY POD: Robert Saleh has been fired.◽️ My conversation with the ex-Jets head coach
◽️ Why now?
◽️ How does Aaron Rodgers factor in?The NFL news cycle never stops, and neither does Scoop City.
👂 https://t.co/MeBFGRT4Sl
📺 https://t.co/9P0T9kJsU4— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 8, 2024
On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Senior NFL Reporter Zack Rosenblatt wrote about the saga. In his piece, Rosenblatt touched on the second-betting favorite, Mike Vrabel.
“If the Jets continue to stumble, there are some appealing coaching candidates expected to be available this offseason, including former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who should top the list of candidates if Ulbrich doesn’t keep the job.”
Belichick is another name getting thrown out by a ton of different pundits and fans alike.
Despite the hype surrounding Belichick’s potential return, Gable listed the legendary coach as a long shot.
Is there a reunion on the horizon? Or is there “Bad Blood”? (Forgive me for the Taylor Swift reference. I have a 10-year-old at home.)
The Athletic’s Chad Graff wrote about the turbulent history between Belichick, Johnson and the Jets.
“They have what should be a good roster. Belichick loves Rodgers, even if the 40-year-old’s play has declined a bit. And massive paychecks have a way of helping people bury hatchets.
“But for this to work, for Belichick to truly consider the Jets, one of the biggest grudge-holders the NFL has ever seen would have to let go of bitterness more than two decades in the making. And that’s assuming Johnson would even consider Belichick after their tumultuous past.”
Graff also mentioned Vrabel as a potential candidate.
“What seems like a better fit — with nearly as much drama — would be the Jets’ pursuing Mike Vrabel, a Patriots Hall of Fame player under Belichick. After six largely successful seasons as the coach of the Tennessee Titans, Vrabel was reportedly interested in coaching the Patriots but never got so much as an interview for the job when owner Robert Kraft quickly hired Jerod Mayo, who he’d put in writing would succeed Belichick.”
(Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
