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. David safely made it to the lobby and was able to escape to safety.[8] Saleh credits this event in providing the spark for him to pursue his dreams of coaching football.[9]
In 2005, Saleh was hired as an intern with the Houston Texans, working with the defensive unit.[10]
In February 2006, Saleh was retained in Gary Kubiak's staff as a defensive quality control coach under defensive coordinator Richard Smith.[10][11][12]
In January 2009, Saleh was promoted to assistant linebackers coach.[13][14]
On February 10, 2014, Saleh was named linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars under head coach Gus Bradley.[16][17] Following Bradley's dismissal in December 2016, Saleh was not retained under new head coach Doug Marrone.
San Francisco 49ers (first stint)
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 Texans from 2006–09.[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).[19] This was the first time since 2003 that the team finished in the top 10 in both scoring and yards per game.[20] Saleh helped lead the 49ers to a 13–3 record and a Super Bowl LIV berth, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 31–20.[21][22]
New York Jets
Saleh in 2024
On January 14, 2021, Saleh signed a five-year contract to become the head coach of the New York Jets.[23]
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 with a 4–13 record and missed the playoffs for the eleventh consecutive year.[24][25]
In the 2022 season, Saleh led the team to 7–10 record, missing the playoffs.[26][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 against the Buffalo Bills, Rodgers injured his left ankle after being sacked by Bills' defensive end Leonard Floyd.[29] Rodgers's backup Zach Wilson went on to lead the Jets to a 22–16 overtime victory.[30] 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 rest of the year.[31][32] With Zach Wilson starting in 11 games, while also juggling between Trevor Siemian and Tim Boyle in the aftermath of Wilson's ultimate benching, the Jets finished the season with a 7–10 record for the second consecutive year and missing the playoffs once more.[33]
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 Titans and New England Patriots, who ultimately finished 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.[34]
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."[35]
San Francisco 49ers (second stint)
On January 24, 2025, Saleh was re-hired by the San Francisco 49ers to be their defensive coordinator.[36]
Saleh and his wife, Sanaa, have seven children.[17] They both speak Arabic.[37]
Saleh is of Lebanese descent.[38] As part of an NFL heritage program,[39] he has occasionally worn a patch of the national flag of Lebanon sewn onto his sideline gear.[40][41] Upon his hiring by the Jets, Saleh became the first Muslim head coach in NFL history.[42][43] 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.[44]
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