West Atlanta News

Jeff Ulbrich, the former interim head coach of the New York Jets, has gained valuable insights from his tenure that he plans to apply in his current role as the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. During his time with the Jets, Ulbrich emphasized the importance of honesty and delegation, two lessons he intends to carry forward.

Ulbrich stepped into the interim head coach position after Robert Saleh was dismissed five games into the 2024 season. Reflecting on this experience, Ulbrich noted a shift in how his colleagues interacted with him. "I felt like people with the greatest intentions were keeping things from me at times," he shared with AtlantaFalcons.com. This experience highlighted for him the counterproductive nature of withholding information.

Now working alongside Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, Ulbrich aims to maintain open communication. "As an assistant coach in this league, you think it's your duty to eliminate all the problems from the head coach," Ulbrich explained. He stressed his commitment to being a truth-teller for Morris.

The relationship between Ulbrich and Morris is built on a foundation of mutual respect and understanding, having worked together previously in Atlanta from 2015-2020. "The beauty of Raheem and I's relationship is we can get into it," said Ulbrich, describing their ability to have candid discussions while maintaining unity.

In addition to truth-telling, Ulbrich learned about effective delegation during his stint as interim head coach. He acknowledged that trying to manage both head coaching duties and defensive coordination was challenging. In hindsight, he believes responsibilities should be more evenly distributed among staff members.

Ulbrich aims to support Morris by taking on more defensive responsibilities so that Morris can focus on overall team management. "I'm going to try to take the defensive coordinator stuff completely off his plate as best I can," Ulbrich stated.

The Falcons' coaching staff includes Jerry Gray as assistant head coach/defense and Mike Rutenberg as defensive pass game coordinator. Collaborating effectively with these team members is crucial for success. "You're surrounded by superstars as far as players but coaches as well," said Ulbrich.

Both the Jets and Falcons have struggled recently, with neither team achieving a winning record in several years. However, Ulbrich remains optimistic about leveraging his experiences for positive change in Atlanta. "For myself, to spend four years with Robert Saleh and the rest of the coaches that I got exposed to in New York, it provided just unbelievable growth," he reflected.