The Atlanta Falcons, led by Raheem Morris, will kick off a new NFL season with changes to their staff. Jeff Ulbrich arrives at the franchise as the new defensive coordinator, following his stint as interim head coach of the New York Jets with Aaron Rodgers. Reflecting on this experience, Ulbrich shared what it taught him as a head coach and how he plans to apply those lessons in this new chapter of his career.
After finishing in second place in the NFC South with a negative record of eight wins and nine losses, the Falcons will be looking to urgently turn things around moving forward, with one of the key areas to improve being their defense. This is why they are turning to Ulbrich’s experience to help strengthen this department.
During his introduction, the former Jets head coach spoke about his experience in New York and how it will help him perform at his best in Atlanta: “Delegation and truth-telling were the two things that will never leave me when they got reinforced at the highest level,” Ulbrich started.
“A lot of times, what I found in that interim role was, although it was interim, it was like I felt the shift and the way people talked to me and treated me and what they said to me,” he also added. “The lack of truth sometimes was really detrimental.”
Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich of the New York Jets looks on during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on November 17, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“It just reinforced the idea that Raheem is going to need me in that way to make sure that I’m always telling the truth and maybe eliminating some of the blind spots that he doesn’t see,” Ulbrich reaffirmed how this experience will help Morris.
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Ulbrich made it clear where he fell short with the Jets
After Robert Saleh’s dismissal as head coach of the Jets, Jeff Ulbrich was pointed out as the successor for the remainder of the season. During his stint, the then-head coach made it clear that he could have delegated more responsibilities or decisions, rather than taking on everything himself.
“It became a thing, and there is an element of a failure for myself in that way because I didn’t delegate,” Ulbrich started. “I just took it all on myself. In my mind’s eye, I was trying to create continuity, and I didn’t want to fracture the staff, and he’s the coordinator.
“I thought the best thing for me to do at that point in time was just try to keep everybody in the same role that they had just so we could keep things rolling, and it wasn’t the right thing to do.”
He finally concluded: “I should have delegated, because it’s just, in my opinion, it’s too hard — especially when it’s thrown on you in the middle of the season. It’s just you hadn’t prepared for it. You’re learning on the run.”
