Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets coach Robert Saleh reacts against the Minnesota Vikings in the first half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The New York Jets‘ decision to fire Robert Saleh doesn’t seem right or wrong. While the Jets haven’t played better, and one could argue they’ve looked worse since they decided to fire the first-time head coach, it isn’t like the team was some Super Bowl contender.
At the end of the day, Saleh and New York had plenty of issues.
It remains uncertain if he’ll get a chance to be a head coach elsewhere. If a team wants to improve its defense, Saleh would be the logical fit.
He’s proven to be an elite defensive coach, but that could also mean a team is interested in hiring him as a defensive coordinator. He’s found success in that role in the past, and sometimes, coaches are better suited to be coordinators than head coaches. It’s the unfortunate reality of being a head coach in the NFL and not succeeding at the level they hoped for.
Saleh should have multiple teams interested in adding him as a defensive coordinator. Obviously, that won’t be the case with the Jets, but a contending squad or two should be willing to give him the keys to their defensive unit. Among them could be the San Francisco 49ers, where he coached from 2017 to 2020.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN loves the fit, urging the 49ers to hire him as their defensive coordinator, highlighting how San Francisco’s defense has taken a turn for the worse this season.
“Saleh wasn’t able to make it work as the Jets’ coach, but there’s no arguing with the work he did on the defensive side of the ball. Taking over one of the league’s worst defenses, he built the Jets into a dominant unit in two years. They have also fallen apart on defense since he was fired, suggesting he played a key role in helping game plan and adjust on a weekly basis. The 49ers are already familiar with Saleh’s work — he was their coordinator from 2017 to 2020 — and they shouldn’t be attached to their defensive leadership.”
Barnwell added that the 49ers’ defensive struggles could likely be due to their injuries. Still, hiring Saleh, who took New York’s defense to new heights, could help San Francisco win a Super Bowl.
He could also welcome a return to the West Coast, building his resume again to help get another head coaching job in the future.
The coaching scene should start to heat up soon, so keep an eye out for the former Jets head coach.