Robert Saleh

Last updated

Robert Saleh
49ers at Redskins 2019, Robert Saleh (48936893478) (cropped).jpg
Saleh with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019
New York Jets
Position: Head coach
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:18–33 (.353)
Coaching stats at PFR

Robert Saleh (born January 31, 1979) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He has served as an assistant coach for the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers from 2005 to 2020. Saleh has appeared in two Super Bowls, one each with the Seahawks and 49ers, winning Super Bowl XLVIII with the former. He was named head coach of the Jets in 2021.

Contents

Early years

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'd 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

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

Houston Texans

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

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

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

San Francisco 49ers

On February 13, 2017, Saleh was named defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers under new head coach Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan and Saleh previously served as 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.

New York Jets

On January 14, 2021, Saleh signed a five-year contract to become the head coach of the New York Jets. [18]

On September 12, 2021, Saleh lost in his head coaching debut against the Carolina Panthers by a score of 19–14. Saleh went on to win his first game as a head coach on October 3 in a 27–24 win against the Tennessee Titans in overtime. In his first season as head coach, the Jets finished 4–13, [19] missing the playoffs for the eleventh consecutive year. [20]

Head coaching record

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
NYJ 2021 4130.2354th in AFC East ————
NYJ 2022 7100.4124th in AFC East————
NYJ 2023 7100.4123rd in AFC East————
Total18330.35300.000

Personal life

Saleh and his wife, Sanaa, have five sons and two daughters. [15] [21]

Saleh is of Lebanese descent. [22] Upon his hiring by the Jets, he became the first Muslim head coach in NFL history. [23] [24] He is also the fourth Arab-American head coach of the NFL, after Ed Khayat (Philadelphia Eagles 1971–72), Rich Kotite (Philadelphia Eagles 1991–94), and Abe Gibron (Chicago Bears 1972–1974), who are all of Lebanese descent. [25]

Saleh and his wife speak Arabic. [21]

Saleh was best man at Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur's wedding. The men became close while working as graduate assistants at Central Michigan in 2004 and as assistant coaches for the Houston Texans from 2008–2009. [26]

Related Research Articles

Raymond Earl Rhodes is a former American football player and coach. Rhodes played wide receiver and cornerback for the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. He served as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), as well as the former assistant defensive backs coach of the Houston Texans. He earned five Super Bowl rings as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, and was named Coach of the Year by the Associated Press in 1995, his first season as Eagles head coach. He last served as the senior defensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Nolan</span> American football coach (born 1959)

Michael Tullis Nolan is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). Nolan previously served as a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and a defensive coordinator for the National Football League (NFL)'s Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and Dallas Cowboys. Nolan is a former linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, and New Orleans Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Izzo</span> American football player and coach (born 1974)

Lawrence Alexander Izzo is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the special teams coordinator for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rice Owls and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins in 1996. A three-time Pro Bowl selection and All-Pro selection for the New England Patriots, he won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and one as a coach with the New York Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Kubiak</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

Gary Wayne Kubiak is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a quarterback for the Denver Broncos before coaching, serving as head coach for the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2013 and the Broncos from 2015 to 2016 before stepping down from the position on January 1, 2017, citing health reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Ulbrich</span> American football player and coach (born 1977)

Jeffery Wade Ulbrich is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Hawaii and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round in the 2000 NFL Draft and played for the 49ers from 2000 to 2009.

Kris Richard is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, and New Orleans Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Shanahan</span> American football coach (born 1979)

Kyle Michael Shanahan is an American football coach who is the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, whose offense in 2016 led the league in points scored and helped the team reach Super Bowl LI. Shanahan became the head coach of the 49ers the following season, whom he has led to three division titles, four postseason appearances, four NFC Championship Game appearances, and two Super Bowl appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Smith (American football)</span> American football coach (born 1948)

Carl Hamilton Smith is an American football coach who is the associate head coach for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He had previously served as quarterbacks coach of the Cleveland Browns and offensive coordinator for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints.

Andrew Robert Heck is an American football coach and former player. He is the offensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He was drafted in the 1989 NFL Draft with the 15th overall selection in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks He played college football at the University of Notre Dame. He also played for the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins.

Robert Hollway was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the University of Michigan and was a member of Michigan's undefeated 1947 and 1948 teams. He thereafter served as an assistant at the University of Maine (1951-1952), Eastern Michigan University (1953), Michigan (1954-1965) before joining the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, as the head coach of the National Football League (NFL)'s St. Louis Cardinals (1971-1972), and assistant coaching stints with the Detroit Lions (1973-1974), San Francisco 49ers (1975), and Seattle Seahawks (1976-1977).

Todd Washington is an American football coach and former offensive lineman who most recently served as the assistant offensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the New York Jets, Orlando Apollos, Baltimore Ravens, Hartford Colonials and the University of San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeMeco Ryans</span> American football player and coach (born 1984)

DeMeco Ryans is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). Ryans played college football at the University of Alabama, where he was named a unanimous All-American.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Knapp</span> American football coach (1963–2021)

Gregory Fishbeck Knapp was an American professional football coach in the National Football League (NFL). He served as an assistant coach for 25 seasons with the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football and later coached at California State University, Sacramento.

A coaching tree is similar to a family tree except it shows the relationships of coaches instead of family members. There are several ways to define a relationship between two coaches. The most common way to make the distinction is if a coach worked as an assistant on a particular head coach's staff for at least a season then that coach can be counted as being a branch on the head coach's coaching tree. Coaching trees can also show philosophical influence from one head coach to an assistant.

Cory Undlin is an American football coach who is the defensive passing game coordinator for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in 2020 and also served as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers

Ralph Hawkins was an American football coach. He worked 35 years in the National Football League (NFL) for nine teams. In addition to a long career as a college coach, Hawkins coached some of the top defensive units in the NFL.

Anthony Earl Oden is an American football coach and former player who is the senior defensive assistant and cornerbacks coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans. Oden played college football at Baldwin–Wallace College.

Brian Francisco Flores is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career with the New England Patriots, where he served as an assistant coach from 2008 to 2018. Flores was New England's defensive playcaller during his final season coaching for the team, which concluded with a victory in Super Bowl LIII. Following the victory, he served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jedd Fisch</span> American football coach (born 1976)

Jedd Ari Fisch is an American football coach, currently the head coach at the University of Washington. He was previously the head coach at the University of Arizona for three seasons.

John Benton is an American football coach who is the offensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans and St. Louis Rams.

References

  1. ↑ Stephen, Starr. "Robert Saleh, son of Lebanese immigrants, is NFL's hottest coaching prospect". The National News. The National. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Robert Saleh". Jacksonville Jaguars. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  3. 1 2 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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 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. "Now hear this: 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo is at his best when noise is deafening". sfchronicle.com. sfchronicle. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ "2021 New York Jets Statistics & Players". pro-football-reference.com. Sports-Reference, LLC. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Longest Active Playoff Droughts". theanalyst.com. The Analyst. January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  21. 1 2 Klemko, Robert (June 6, 2017). "Robert Saleh: The Road from 9/11 to the 49ers". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  22. ↑ Costello, Brian (2022). "Robert Saleh reacts to Brian Flores' bombshell lawsuit against NFL". Nypost.com.
  23. ↑ "Robert Saleh's rise to the Super Bowl began in a Muslim community where football is king - The Washington Post". The Washington Post .
  24. ↑ Li, David K. "Jets make history, hiring Robert Saleh to become Jet's first Muslim head coach". NBC News. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  25. ↑ "ADC Congratulates Robert Saleh, New Head Coach of the NY Jets". ADC. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  26. ↑ Demovsky, Rob (January 17, 2020). "The 'best man' battle: Packers' Matt LaFleur vs. 49ers' Robert Saleh". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.