Moving from coordinator to head coach is the hardest leap for any coach, and in Robert Saleh's case, the first time he tried, it didn't go so well. But he's back with another chance, and he's determined to make the most of it.
After an up-and-down tenure with the New York Jets, which ended in the middle of his fourth season, Saleh returned to the San Francisco 49ers, for whom he served as the defensive coordinator just as he did before he got hired by the Jets. Back calling plays on the defensive side of the ball with the 49ers not only helped him land the Tennessee Titans head coaching job, but it also apparently gave him a new perspective on how he should approach things in Nashville.
“One of the things that I feel is my strengths is my connection to the players, and I felt not calling plays, for example, in New York kept me from being connected to the players the way I feel like I need to be able to build the relationships that are needed to have success,” Saleh said on ‘The Rich Eisen Show'.
After being hired by the Jets in 2021, Saleh, who had been the 49ers' defensive coordinator for the previous four years, hired Jeff Ulbrich as New York's DC. While the Jets ranked last in the NFL in points against, they rocketed to fourth-best in the league the following season. They finished 12th and 20th in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
In his four years as the Jets head coach, the team went 20-36, including the 2-3 start to the 2024 season that resulted in his dismissal. Saleh joined the Green Bay Packers, reuniting with longtime pal Matt LaFleur, before returning to the 49ers as their defensive coordinator. The Niners ranked 13th in terms of points scored against.
Saleh comes to the Titans on the heels of a second straight three-win season for Tennessee, which fired head coach Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start this past season.
