The Jets have parted ways with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and named Frank Bush interim defensive coordinator.
Bush, who doubles as the team's assistant head coach defense/inside linebackers coach, is in his 29th season coaching in the NFL. Under Bush's tutelage, Neville Hewitt, a former undrafted free agent, leads the team and ranks tied for eighth in the NFL with 101 total tackles. Also since entering the starting lineup in Week 9, linebacker Harvey Langi has produced 37 tackles over his last four games, an average of 9.3 tackles per game
Bush previously served as the Houston Texans defensive coordinator in 2009-10, leading the unit to new franchise lows for fewest points allowed per game (20.8) and yards allowed per game (324.9) in 2009. In both seasons, Houston allowed the two lowest rushing yardage totals in franchise annals.
Originally drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1985, Bush, an NC State product, had his playing career cut short by a congenital spinal defect. He worked in the scouting department with the Oilers (1987-91) and then transitioned to coaching with Houston in 1992 as a linebackers coach. Bush held various roles on the Broncos coaching staff from 1995-2003 and earned two Super Bowl rings in Denver (XXXII and XXXIII) before moving onto Arizona (2004-06).
Prior to coming to the Jets in 2019, Bush coached linebackers in Tennessee (2011-12), with the Rams (2013-16) and was the assistant coach/linebackers coach under Adam Gase in Miami from 2017-18.
Williams, a 30-year coaching veteran, was in his second season with the Jets. The club finished seventh overall in defense in 2019 and his units have finished in the top 10 in total defense eight times in his 21 seasons as a head coach or defensive coordinator. Through 12 games, the Jets rank 30th in scoring (29.4 Pts/G). 29th in overall defense (398.8 Yds/G), 9th against the run (107.8 Yds/G) and 31st against the pass (291.0 Yds/G).
