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Robert Saleh
American football coach (born 1979) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Robert Jalal Saleh[1] (born January 31, 1979) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head coach of the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024. Saleh has also been assistant coach for the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, and 49ers. He has appeared in two Super Bowls, one each with the Seahawks and 49ers, winning Super Bowl XLVIII with the former.
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Early life
Born to Lebanese immigrants[2] in Dearborn, Michigan, Saleh is a 1997 graduate of Fordson High School[3][4] He attended Northern Michigan University in Marquette from 1997 to 2001,[5][6] where he earned a degree in finance and was a four-year starter for the Wildcats, earning all-conference honors as a tight end.[3][7]
Saleh's brother David was in the South Tower during the September 11 attacks in New York City in 2001 and saw the fireball from the initial plane's impact on the North Tower from the building's 61st floor. After ignoring calls by the public intercom within the South Tower to return to their offices, he made it down to the 24th floor before the second plane hit, this time around 50 floors above in his tower. He safely made it to the lobby and was able to escape to safety.[8] Saleh credits this in providing the spark for him to pursue his dreams of coaching football.[9]
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Coaching career
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College
Saleh began his coaching career at the collegiate level in 2002. He spent four years working as a defensive assistant with Michigan State University (2002–03), Central Michigan University (2004)[7] and the University of Georgia (2005).[3]
Houston Texans
In 2005, Saleh was hired as an intern with the Houston Texans, working with the defensive unit.[10] In February 2006, he was retained in Gary Kubiak's staff as a defensive quality control coach under defensive coordinator Richard Smith.[10][11][12] In January 2009, he was promoted to assistant linebackers coach.[13][14]
Seattle Seahawks
In February 2011, Saleh was hired as the defensive quality control coach for the Seattle Seahawks under Pete Carroll.[15] He spent three seasons with the Seahawks, including their 2013 championship season when they defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.[4] During this span the defense was known as the Legion of Boom.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Following the Seahawks' 2013 championship, Saleh was named linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars under head coach Gus Bradley.[16][17] Following Bradley's dismissal, Saleh was not retained under new head coach Doug Marrone.
San Francisco 49ers (first stint)
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On February 13, 2017, Saleh was named defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers under new head coach Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan and Saleh previously were assistant coaches for the Houston Texans from 2006–2009.[18]
During the 2019 season, the 49ers defense was sixth in the league in forced turnovers (27), second in total defense (281.8 yards per game), first in passing defense (169.2 yards per game), and fourth in sacks (48). This was the first time since 2003 that the 49ers finished in the top 10 in both scoring and yards per game.[19] Saleh helped lead the team to a 13–3 record and a Super Bowl LIV berth, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 31–20.[20][21]
New York Jets
On January 14, 2021, Saleh signed a five-year contract to become the head coach of the New York Jets.[22]
On September 12, 2021, Saleh lost in his head coaching debut against the Carolina Panthers by a score of 19–14. Saleh won his first game as a head coach three weeks later in a 27–24 overtime victory over the Tennessee Titans. In his first season as head coach, the Jets finished 4–13,[23] missing the playoffs for the eleventh consecutive year.[24] In the 2022 season, Saleh led the team to 7–10 record, missing the playoffs.[25][26]
Prior to the 2023 season on April 26, 2023, the Jets acquired four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for their first, second (via Cleveland) and sixth-round selections in the 2023 NFL draft and a conditional second-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft.[27]
With the arrival of the superstar gunslinger, the Jets went into the 2023 season with high projections and were widely expected to make the postseason for the first time since 2010 and end their playoff drought. However, just four offensive snaps into New York's Week 1 opener on Monday Night Football vs the Buffalo Bills, Rodgers would injure his left ankle after being sacked by Bills' defensive end Leonard Floyd.[28] Rodgers' backup Zach Wilson went on to lead the Jets to a 22–16 win in overtime.[29] The next day, Rodgers was diagnosed with an Achilles tendon rupture and was later placed on injured reserve, effectively ending his season after just one pass attempt, an incompletion, and forcing the Jets to turn right back to Wilson for the remainder of the year.[30][31] With Zach Wilson starting in eleven games, while also juggling between Trevor Siemian and Tim Boyle in the aftermath of Wilson's ultimate benching, the Jets would finish the season at 7–10, matching their record from the previous season and missing the playoffs once more.
On October 8, 2024, Saleh was fired by the Jets after the team began the season with a 2–3 record under Aaron Rodgers, the two victories being over the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots, who would ultimately finish the season 3–14 and 4–13, respectively. Saleh finished his tenure in New York with an overall record of 20–36 (.357) through just over three seasons.[32]
Green Bay Packers
On October 23, 2024, Packers coach Matt LaFleur confirmed to reporters that he had enlisted Saleh in a consultant role to help him with the offensive gameplan, but that his role would be "fluid."[33]
San Francisco 49ers (second stint)
On January 24, 2025, Saleh was rehired by the San Francisco 49ers as their defensive coordinator.[34]
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Head coaching record
Personal life
Saleh and his wife, Sanaa, have five sons and two daughters.[17] Saleh and his wife speak Arabic.[35]
Saleh is of Lebanese descent.[36] As part of an NFL heritage program,[37] he has occasionally worn a patch of the national flag of Lebanon sewn onto his sideline gear.[38][39] Upon his hiring by the Jets, Saleh became the first Muslim head coach in NFL history.[40][41] He is also the fourth Arab-American head coach of the NFL, after Ed Khayat (Philadelphia Eagles 1971–1972), Abe Gibron (Chicago Bears 1972–1974), and Rich Kotite (Philadelphia Eagles 1991–1994), who are all also of Lebanese descent.[42]
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References
External links
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