The New York Jets are 0-2 since firing former head coach Robert Saleh. Firing Saleh when they did was seen as an interesting move, but the top brass felt it was time for a change.

The Jets named Jeff Ulbrich as interim head coach, an easy choice after helping New York’s defensive unit be among the best in the NFL over the past few years.

How Ulbrich coaches for the rest of the season will likely determine his future with the Jets. If he turns this situation around, it would make sense to bring him back.

Otherwise, Ulbrich could be cut from the organization, as he might not want to return as defensive coordinator if that’s the position they offer him.

Even if he embarks on an unlikely run through the rest of the campaign, Ulbrich can’t settle for this position.

Zack Rosenblatt Athletics pointed out that New York would have to conduct a coaching search because of the Rooney Rule.

“Whether Ulbrich leads the Jets into an improbable playoff run or not, the Jets will conduct a coaching search this offseason. Even if Ulbrich was able to turn things around, per league rules he can’t just see himself give the job since the Jets reportedly did so to interview minority candidates to comply with the Rooney Rule But if Ulbrich can somehow dig the Jets out of this hole and put. an end to the playoff skid, he will certainly have earned the full-time job.

The Rooney Rule aims to increase the number of minority coaches in the NFL, something the league is trying to improve.

Although Ulbrich’s future with the Jets remains uncertain, tough decisions will have to be made regardless of how the season continues.

With potentially promising names on the market, New York might prefer an offensive-minded head coach, as that has been their biggest problem in recent years.

Rosenblatt listed a few names that could be considered.

“There are obvious candidates with experience (Mike Vrabel tops the list) and other promising coaches who should be interviewed (like Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson). It wouldn’t be surprising if Woody Johnson “Prefers an offensive-minded player to coach considering all their issues on that side of the ball in recent years, although it didn’t really work out when he hired Adam Gase in 2019.”

It’s also fair to wonder if any coach would want the Jets job. They haven’t played well, and this could well be the start of their struggles for the foreseeable future.