San Francisco 49ers defensive boss Robert Saleh will return to the head coaching ranks as the new leader of the Tennessee Titans.
A golden opportunity awaits former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Tennessee Titans are set to name Saleh as their new head coach. It will be Saleh’s second head coaching opportunity, as he previously stood at the helm of the New York Jets for three-plus seasons (2021-24).
Saleh spent the past season in San Francisco, reprising a defensive coordinator role he held immediately before he left for New York (2017-20). In both Bay Area terms, Saleh was lauded for his leadership and guidance and developed several fearsome defensive talents, including Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, and Fred Warner.
Saleh helped the 49ers return to the playoffs after a one-year absence. San Francisco took down defending champion Philadelphia in the Wild Card round before bowing out to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.
“He’s been great,” 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir said of Saleh after the team’s Divisional elimination, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic. “I learned a lot of new things about football and schematically. He’s one of the best coaches. I pray he doesn’t leave so we can get another run at this, but I wish him the best if he does.”
In addition to his work in San Francisco and New York, Saleh has held a variety of roles in Houston, Seattle, Jacksonville, and Green Bay. He was part of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning staff in 2013-14, serving as a defensive quality control coach.
In between his San Francisco stays, Saleh was one of several damned names to guide the Jets amid their active playoff drought. Saleh amassed a 20-36 record as the Jets’ captain, notably posting consecutive seven-win seasons (the most the Jets had in back-to-back years since 2015-16). Despite his early exit, Saleh oversaw the break out of more young defensive talents, such as Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson, and Quinnen Williams.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t difficult,” Saleh said of his Jets tenure, partly marred by the 2023 injury of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, in an October interview with Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. “Of course it was difficult because you always want a chance to compete to the very end. But you’ve got to pick up and get yourself off the grass as quickly as possible and move on. I have confidence in myself and the people I’m surrounded by. I don’t feel like I have to prove anything. I’m just going to go out and do the best I can, and hopefully the results are good.”
Titans tab Saleh To Take Over Rebuilding Project
Saleh is now set to lead a Titans team that is seeking momentum for the Cam Ward era: Tennessee has posted consecutive three-win seasons as it continues to search for momentum after the controversial ousting of Mike Vrabel from Saleh’s new office. Vrabel, since hired by the New England Patriots, is set to battle for a Super Bowl spot on Sunday against the Denver Broncos (3 p.m. ET, CBS).
The Titans’ tumble led to the in-season firing of Brian Callahan, who was unable to stop the Nashville playoff drought from reaching four. Callahan was unable to significantly advance the progress and development of newly-crowned franchise quarterback Ward, the top pick of the 2025 draft, and was released six games into the season.
Saleh’s move to Tennessee carries the potential virtue of patience, as the Titans are set to move into a new Nashville stadium in 2027. Notable names in Tennessee beyond Ward include all-purpose rookie breakout Chimere Dike, lasting defensive veteran Jeffery Simmons, and young defensive standouts like Oluwafemi Oladejo and T’Vondre Sweat.
Saleh joins a packed AFC South that sent two teams to the recent playoffs. Facing the Houston Texans, who fell to Vrabel and the Patriots in the Divisional round, will pit Saleh against former protege and coaching colleague DeMeco Ryans, who ironically succeeded Saleh as San Francisco defensive boss when he moved to New York.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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