Bill Belichick on Monday night asked New York Jets owner Woody Johnson for his opinion on his decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh last week.
Belichick spoke with Peyton and Eli Manning on ESPN’s alternate broadcast Monday night during the Jets-Buffalo Bills game and completely criticized Johnson.
“To me, it seemed like it was pretty quick to change coaches,” Manning said.
“Oh, look, that happened with the Jets,” Belichick replied. “Over the last 10 years they’ve barely had a win rate above 30%. Owners are owners, ready, fire, aim.”
The Jets waived Saleh on Tuesday, just five games into the season. Saleh was hired ahead of the 2021 season, marking his first head coaching position in the league. He finished 20-36 and never had a winning season. The Jets have promoted defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to interim head coach for the time being.
The decision to fire Saleh surprised many in the NFL world. Prime Minister Johnson said he felt Saleh had not lived up to expectations.
“This is one of the most talented teams the New York Jets have ever assembled,” Johnson said last week. “I feel like I had to go in a different direction this season because I want to give my team the best chance to win.”
Belichick, who once worked for the organization and famously served as head coach for one day before abruptly resigning, competed with Johnson for more than 20 years while leading the New England Patriots.
Johnson bought the Jets in 2000, the same year Belichick took over in New England after serving as the Jets’ defensive coordinator. During that time, Belichick won six Super Bowls and 17 district titles with the help of quarterback Tom Brady. The Jets have won the AFC East once and appeared in the playoffs six times in the same span. They haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010 season, going eight seasons without a winning record.
Belichick and the Patriots parted ways earlier this year, and Belichick has now moved on to media relations for ESPN. Naturally, that will likely elicit even more heated opinions from the head coach, who was known for his relatively cautious and blunt demeanor.
However, Belichick thought Saleh was doing a great job when it came to the Jets’ operations.
“For those of you who don’t know, I’m not a huge Jets fan… Coach Sale has done a good job with that program,” Belichick said. “He brought a culture, a level of toughness and competitiveness…I think he’s done a pretty good job with this team and probably won’t be far from winning.”
