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Robert Saleh

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Robert Saleh
refer to caption
Saleh with the New York Jets in 2024
Green Bay Packers
Position:Offensive consultant
Personal information
Born: (1979-01-31) January 31, 1979 (age 45)
Dearborn, Michigan, U.S.
Career information
High school:Fordson
(Dearborn, Michigan)
College:Northern Michigan (1997–2000)
Career history
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Head coaching record
Regular season:20–36 (.357)
Record at Pro Football Reference

Robert Saleh (born January 31, 1979) is an American professional football coach who is an offensive consultant for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He recently was the head coach of the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024. He has been assistant coach for the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers. Saleh has appeared in two Super Bowls, one each with the Seahawks and 49ers, winning Super Bowl XLVIII with the former.

Early life

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Born to Lebanese immigrants[1] in Dearborn, Michigan, Saleh is a 1997 graduate of Fordson High School[2][3] He attended Northern Michigan University in Marquette from 1997 to 2001,[4][5] where he earned a degree in finance and was a four-year starter for the Wildcats, earning all-conference honors as a tight end.[2][6]

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.[7] Saleh credits this in providing the spark for him to pursue his dreams of coaching football.[8]

Coaching career

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College

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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)[6] and the University of Georgia (2005).[2]

Houston Texans

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In 2005, Saleh was hired as an intern with the Houston Texans, working with the defensive unit.[9] In February 2006, he was retained in Gary Kubiak's staff as a defensive quality control coach under defensive coordinator Richard Smith.[9][10][11] In January 2009, he was promoted to assistant linebackers coach.[12][13]

Seattle Seahawks

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In February 2011, Saleh was hired as the defensive quality control coach for the Seattle Seahawks under Pete Carroll.[14] He spent three seasons with the Seahawks, including their 2013 championship season when they defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.[3] During this span the defense was known as the Legion of Boom.

Jacksonville Jaguars

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Following the Seahawks' 2013 championship, Saleh was named linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars under head coach Gus Bradley.[2][15] Saleh was not retained under new head coach Doug Marrone.

San Francisco 49ers

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Saleh with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019

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.[16]

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.[17] 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.[18][19]

New York Jets

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On January 14, 2021, Saleh signed a five-year contract to become the head coach of the New York Jets.[20]

On September 12, 2021, Saleh lost in his head coaching debut against the Carolina Panthers by a score of 19–14. He 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,[21] missing the playoffs for the eleventh consecutive year.[22]

On October 8, 2024, Saleh was fired by the Jets after the team began the season with a 2–3 record. Saleh finished his tenure in New York with a 20–36 (.357) regular season record, overall.[23]

Green Bay Packers

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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".[24]

Head coaching record

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Team Year Regular season Postseason
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
NYJ 2021 4 13 0 .235 4th in AFC East — — — —
NYJ 2022 7 10 0 .412 4th in AFC East — — — —
NYJ 2023 7 10 0 .412 3rd in AFC East — — — —
NYJ 2024 2 3 0 .400 Fired — — —
Total 20 36 0 .357 0 0 .000

Personal life

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Saleh and his wife, Sanaa, have five sons and two daughters.[15] Saleh and his wife speak Arabic.[25]

Saleh is of Lebanese descent.[26] As part of an NFL heritage program,[27] he has occasionally worn a patch of the national flag of Lebanon sewn onto his sideline gear.[28][29] Upon his hiring by the Jets, he became the first Muslim head coach in NFL history.[30][31] He is also the fourth Arab-American head coach of the NFL, after Ed Khayat (Philadelphia Eagles 1971–72), Abe Gibron (Chicago Bears 1972–1974), and Rich Kotite (Philadelphia Eagles 1991–94), who are all also of Lebanese descent.[32]

References

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  1. ^ Starr, Stephen (March 2, 2021). "Robert Saleh, son of Lebanese immigrants, is NFL's hottest coaching prospect". The National News. The National. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Robert Saleh". Jacksonville Jaguars. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Slezak, Joe (February 12, 2014). "Dearborn honors Seahawks Super Bowl champion coach Robert Saleh". The Oakland Press.
  4. ^ Waszak Jr., Dennis. "Northern Michigan University graduate Robert Saleh gets plenty of suggestions with struggling New York Jets". The Mining Journal. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  5. ^ "Official Site of the New York Jets".
  6. ^ a b "Kelly Completes Coaching Staff". Scout.com. January 23, 2004. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014.
  7. ^ O'Connor, Ian (September 11, 2021). "Jets' Robert Saleh found football calling after brother's 9/11 experience". New York Post. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  8. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "How We Remember 9/11 Through Football | NFL 360". YouTube.
  9. ^ a b "Texans add four coaches to staff". USA Today. Associated Press. February 2, 2006.
  10. ^ McClain, John (February 9, 2006). "Texans to keep Carr through 2008 season". Houston Chronicle.
  11. ^ McClain, John (February 3, 2006). "Kubiak adds 3 assistants to Texans' coaching staff". Houston Chronicle.
  12. ^ "Transactions". Times-Union. Warsaw, Indiana. January 29, 2009. p. 12.
  13. ^ McClain, John (January 29, 2009). "Texans re-sign Gibbs, promote four coaches". Houston Chronicle.
  14. ^ O'Neill, Danny (February 25, 2011). "Seahawks hire Carl Smith as quarterbacks coach". Seattle Times.
  15. ^ a b O'Halloran, Ryan (February 15, 2014). "Jaguars Insider: New LB coach Robert Saleh eager to work with Paul Posluszny". The Florida Times-Union. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015.
  16. ^ Sessler, Marc (February 17, 2017). "Robert Saleh hired as 49ers' defensive coordinator". Around the NFL. National Football League. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  17. ^ Branch, Eric (December 30, 2019). "Now hear this: 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo is at his best when noise is deafening". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  18. ^ Ruiz, Steven (February 10, 2020). "We blamed the wrong 49ers coach for the Super Bowl 54 collapse". USA TODAY. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  19. ^ Hahn, Jason (February 2, 2020). "Kansas City Chiefs Beat San Francisco 49ers to Win Super Bowl 2020". People. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  20. ^ Lange, Randy (January 14, 2020). "Jets Reach Agreement in Principle with Robert Saleh to Become Head Coach deal". www.newyorkjets.com. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  21. ^ "2021 New York Jets Statistics & Players". pro-football-reference.com. Sports-Reference, LLC. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  22. ^ "Longest Active Playoff Droughts". theanalyst.com. The Analyst. January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  23. ^ Allen, Eric (October 8, 2024). "Jets Part Ways With Robert Saleh, Name Jeff Ulbrich Interim Head Coach". newyorkjets.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  24. ^ Demovsky, Rob. "Robert Saleh joins Matt LaFleur, Packers in 'fluid' role". espn.com.
  25. ^ Klemko, Robert (June 6, 2017). "Robert Saleh: The Road from 9/11 to the 49ers". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  26. ^ Costello, Brian (2022). "Robert Saleh reacts to Brian Flores' bombshell lawsuit against NFL". Nypost.com.
  27. ^ "NFL celebrates international diversity with NFL Heritage program". NFL.com. October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  28. ^ "The National Football League Celebrates International Diversity with NFL Heritage Program". NFL Communications. October 19, 2023. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  29. ^ Li, David K.; Abdelkader, Rima (October 8, 2024). "New York Jets fire coach Robert Saleh after 2-3 start and apparent tension with Aaron Rodgers". NBCNews.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  30. ^ Kilgore, Adam (January 31, 2020). "Robert Saleh's rise to the Super Bowl began in a Muslim community where football is king". Washington Post. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  31. ^ Li, David K. (January 14, 2021). "Jets make history, hiring Robert Saleh to become Jet's first Muslim head coach". NBC News. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  32. ^ "ADC Congratulates Robert Saleh, New Head Coach of the NY Jets". ADC. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
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