The New York Jets shocked the football world when it was announced Tuesday morning that they had fired head coach Robert Saleh.

It was certainly a move that was justified as the team has not performed up to expectations during his tenure. The inability to nail down the quarterback position ultimately cost him, as the team is 2-3 on the season, even with Aaron Rodgers in the mix.

With Saleh gone, the team will turn to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbirch as interim head coach. Unless he blows expectations out of the water, there will be a full search after the season ends.

Who can the Jets turn to as their next head coach? Some people will cry for Bill Belichick to be sidelined as a poetic end to his career as the biggest head coaching name around.

Owner Woody Johnson certainly likes to make headlines, but it’s hard to imagine Belichick joining the franchise. Instead, here are three non-Belichick head coaching candidates for New York to consider.

One of the hottest names in the coaching world in recent years is Johnson. He has done a fantastic job with the Lions, turning the once downtrodden franchise into a perennial NFC contender.

He deserves credit for getting Jared Goff back on track and developing some incredible young players. Detroit is brimming with talent, as Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williamson, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have all benefited from Johnson’s play and scheme.

Don’t forget, he has also overseen one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. That has been a weakness for the Jets in recent years.

It’s anyone’s guess if Flores will ever get another head coaching opportunity after what happened with the Miami Dolphins. But his resume speaks for itself.

Despite the turmoil, he was 10-6 and 9-8 in his last two seasons. He has done very well in Minnesota over the past two years.

If New York is looking for someone with head coaching experience, he is a solid option. He also knows what it takes to compete in the AFC East.

Vrabel may be the most talented head coaching candidate available outside of Belichick. He was with the Titans for six seasons and found great success early on.

In his first four seasons, the team was over .500 every campaign with three playoff appearances. The 2019 season featured an appearance in the AFC Championship Game and in 2021 they were the No. 1 seed.

This level-headed, defensive coach from the Belichick tree should be a popular candidate this season.

After the disaster that was Adam Gase’s tenure as head coach, it’s easy to understand why Jets fans have some hesitation in hiring an offensive-minded coach. But given how strong the defense is, that’s the direction the franchise should look.

Slowik has done a remarkable job in Houston since leaving the San Francisco 49ers with head coach DeMeco Ryans. The work he has done with CJ Stroud has been amazing and gives confidence that he can develop quarterbacks and get the most out of unknown players.

How many football fans knew who Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Devin Singletary were heading into the 2023 season? All three played exceptionally well under Slowik and if you come from the Kyle Shanahan tree, you know he can coach an offense.