After a dismal 2-14 season in 2020, the New York Jets moved on from head coach Adam Gase in early January. While that move wasn’t a surprise to anyone across the professional football landscape, the Jets faced a competitive head coaching market, with seven openings in the NFL and some attractive jobs open elsewhere. On Thursday evening, the Jets reportedly secured a new voice to lead the organization, and it is San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
We’ve reached an agreement in principle with Robert Saleh to become our head coach.
https://t.co/CiIczkN97j pic.twitter.com/NC3nW27uNa
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 15, 2021
Saleh reportedly flew to New York for a second interview earlier this week and, within two days, the Jets seemingly landed on him for the open position. The 41-year-old Saleh shepherded a quality group with the 49ers after taking over as the defensive coordinator in 2017, and he was a widely discussed candidate in each of the last two major coaching cycles.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with people if they don’t hire him,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan recently said, via ESPN. “I mean, he’s as good as you can get. … And he’s going to hire the best staff. He knows about players. He knows who knows what they’re talking about. Who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. And he also knows how to deal with people. So, I hope everyone’s not very smart and doesn’t hire them so I can keep him. But, I’m expecting not to have him.
As with any head coaching hire of a defense-first individual, there will be plenty of attention paid to what Saleh and the Jets will look to do with the offense, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that he will bring 49ers passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur with him to New York. That hire is especially crucial in New York’s situation with the No. 2 overall draft pick and the belief that the organization could target a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Still, the Jets are not barren of talent on the roster, and Saleh is highly regarded for his schematic ability and leadership qualities, especially after helping to lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance just 11 months ago. His task will not be an easy one, but the Jets now have a head coach and, presumably, a new direction.