Taking on the pressure of being the head coach of the New York Jets is not for the faint of heart, and speculation began to run rampant immediately after Robert Saleh was fired just five games into the season.
At least one sportsbook is already offering odds on who will be patrolling the Jets’ sideline come Week 1 of next season. The list of more than 50 names is topped by none other than Bill Belichick, who guided division rival New England to six Super Bowl titles.
Belichick, 72, reportedly wants to coach next season, and he’ll potentially have his pick among several openings that could be created over the next few months. SportsBetting.ag had previously listed Dallas and Jacksonville as the leading candidates to hire Belichick, followed by Philadelphia.
The Jets were tied for the fifth-shortest odds to hire Belichick just two weeks ago, but he is now the +200 favorite to ultimately replace Saleh. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will have a dozen games to build his case to earn the job permanently, but he is not among the favorites by the sportsbook.
“He is a tough coach who has the respect of the coaches and the players on this team,” owner Woody Johnson said of Ulbrich. “I believe he along with the coaches on this staff can get the most out of our talented team and attain the goals we established this offseason.”
The second-shortest odds belong to another experienced head coach with Patriots ties. Former New England linebacker Mike Vrabel parted ways with the Tennessee Titans after last season. Similar to Belichick, Vrabel was considered for other head coaching vacancies last offseason before ultimately joining the Cleveland Browns as a consultant.
Vrabel was installed at +500 behind Belichick after news of Saleh’s firing broke on Tuesday, but those odds had shortened to +425 just a few hours later. Meanwhile, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had held steady as the third favorite at +600.
JETS NEXT HEAD COACH ODDS*
Bill Belichick (+200)
Mike Vrabel (+425)
Ben Johnson (+600)
Bobby Slowik (+800)
Todd Monken (+1000)
Joe Brady (+1100)
Aaron Glenn (+1400)
Matt Nagy (+1400)
Arthur Smith (+1600)
Adam Stenavich (+1800)
Teryl Austin (+1800)
Brian Flores (+2000)
Jeff Ulbrich (+2000)
Bobby Babich (+2500)
Jesse Minter (+2500)
Kliff Kingsbury (+2500)
Nick Sorensen (+2500)
Zac Robinson (+2500)
Brian Schottenheimer (+3300)
Dan Pitcher (+3300)
Jim Schwartz (+3300)
Kellen Moore (+3300)
Wes Phillips (+3300)
Greg Roman (+4000)
Jim Bob Cooter (+4000)
Klint Kubiak (+4000)
Liam Coen (+4000)
Shane Waldron (+4000)
Vic Fangio (+4000)
Chris Shula (+5000)
DeMarcus Covington (+5000)
Drew Petzing (+5000)
Ejiro Evero (+5000)
Frank Smith (+5000)
Gus Bradley (+5000)
Jeff Hafley (+5000)
Mike Kafka (+5000)
Mike LaFleur (+5000)
Zach Orr (+5000)
Lane Kiffin (+10000)
Lincoln Riley (+10000)
Matt Rhule (+10000)
Nathaniel Hackett (+10000)
Patrick Graham (+10000)
Ron Rivera (+10000)
Steve Sarkisian (+10000)
Pete Carroll (+15000)
Deion Sanders (+25000)
Jim Harbaugh (+25000)
Nick Saban (+25000)
Rex Ryan (+25000)
Tony Romo (+25000)
Joe Namath (+500000)
*SportsBetting.ag odds provided for entertainment purposes only.
Despite having four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers at the helm, the Jets rank 27th in total offense (286.6 yards per game) and 25th in scoring (18.6).
CBS Sports reported that Saleh was “seriously contemplating” firing offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett before Johnson made his own move. It’s possible Hackett may not keep play-calling duties with Ulbrich in charge.
“We’re gonna take a deep dive on that in the next 36 hours and look at every possibility,” Ulbrich said. “I do not see changes in necessarily titles and positions. As far as responsibilities and the process itself, we’re gonna take a hard look at that.”
Saleh, 45, compiled a 20-36 record with no playoff appearances in 56 games since taking over the Jets in 2021. New York last made the playoffs in the 2010 season, losing in the AFC Championship Game for the second straight year.
