In a drastic reboot Wednesday, the Red Bulls abruptly fired Mike Petke — the most popular and successful coach in team history — and announced replacement Jesse Marsch barely two hours later.

There are likely more changes to come, with the team pursuing U.S. National Team stars Jozy Altidore and Sacha Kljestan.

New sporting director Ali Curtis said the tough decision was made by him, not the club’s absentee ownership in Austria. He insisted it wasn’t about getting rid of the wildly popular Petke, but about adding Marsch, the former Montreal Impact coach who fits in with the club’s new analytics-driven approach. Think Moneyball MLS.

“The decision wasn’t about getting rid of Mike Petke. It’s about bringing in Jesse Marsch. He embodies where we are moving forward,’’ said Curtis. “Jesse embraces an area of performance and analytics in a way that’s consistent with the direction of the club. I’m convinced of that.’’

He had better be. Petke led the Red Bulls to the Supporters’ Shield in 2013 for the top record in the MLS, and followed that this past season with the club’s first conference finals appearance since 2008. Nevertheless, that didn’t keep him from surprisingly getting sacked, and it has become increasingly clear he never had a chance once Curtis replaced the departed Andy Roxburgh.

Petke took to Twitter to thank Roxburgh, his staff, and the team’s supporters, calling his two years as Red Bulls coach the “time of my life.”

https://twitter.com/petkemike/status/552872080828817408/

Red Bulls goalie Luis Robles was blindsided by the news.

“I woke up and I had no idea,” Robles told The Post. “I don’t think anyone knew. We went to bed last night and wake up this morning and [heard]. That’s it. On Monday I had a long discussion with Ali. Never did a coaching position come up, never did Mike’s name come up. He was talking about players, talking about himself. When I went to bed, that wasn’t anything that was on my mind.’’

Petke grew into the job, but coached more by instinct than analysis. He drew fire for failing to properly prepare his team for yellow-card peril in the playoffs that came back to haunt them.

Curtis and Marsch talked about how their visions align, with the Red Bulls likely to go young and cheap now that Thierry Henry has retired.

“This is an energy drink. From the beginning it’s been clear Red Bull … [will] want to honor playing a more up-tempo dynamic game, and incorporating young players,’’ Marsch said. “That fits well with who I am as a coach.’’

Marsch, who left Montreal after being the Impact’s inaugural coach in 2012, said he first spoke with Curtis 7-to-10 days ago. He added he will concentrate on adding a centerback. He wants his team to be “explosive, aggressive and find ways to suffocate opponents,” but said they’ll need to get younger and faster to do so.

While that opens questions about the return of aging Australian midfielder Tim Cahill, Altidore (25 years old) or Kljestan (29) would fill that bill, and the Red Bulls want both players.

This summer, the Red Bulls weren’t convinced they could pry Altidore away from English Premier League side Sunderland, but ESPN reported Altidore is in talks with MLS teams, with the Red Bulls, Portland and Toronto FC having all applied. The Red Bulls are ahead of the others in allocation order, in hopes of reacquiring their former star.

Kljestan, a former Seton Hall star, played alongside Marsch at Chivas USA and under him when Marsch was a U.S. assistant. A potential return from Anderlecht would be a homecoming for the midfielder.

New York City FC is on the verge of adding out-of-contract US National Team fixture Mix Diskerud.