Jets hire DC Jeff Ulbrich, announce 15 other additions to Robert Saleh’s staff

Robert Saleh’s new coaching staff is filling out nicely.

The Jets announced 16 hires after Saleh’s introductory press conference Thursday, including offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

The LaFleur hiring was heavily reported soon after the Jets hired Saleh – both joined Kyle Shanahan’s staff in San Francisco in 2017 – but Ulbrich joins the Jets after taking over as Falcons defensive coordinator in 2020 following a five-year stint as linebackers coach from 2015-2019.

Ulbrich, a former NFL linebacker for the 49ers, coached with Saleh in Seattle in 2011 when Ulbrich was a special teams assistant and Saleh was a defensive quality control coach. Ulbrich coached at UCLA as the special teams and linebackers coach from 2012-2014 before returning to the NFL with the Falcons.

The rest of the Jets’ defensive staff – for now –includes: defensive line coaches Aaron Whitecotton and Nate Ollie, and defensive assistants Chip Vaughn, Ricky Manning Jr. and Hayes Pullard.

LaFleur will lead the offense and will be joined by quarterbacks coach Rob Calabrese, offensive line coach John Benton, running backs coach Jon “Taylor” Embree, tight ends coach Ron Middleton, wide receivers coach Miles Austin, passing game specialist Greg Knapp and offensive assistants Billy VandeMerkt, Mack Brown and Todd Washington.