Robert Saleh is back in the head coaching ranks.
The former Jets head coach and 49ers defensive coordinator was hired as the next head coach of the Titans, according to multiple reports early Tuesday morning.
News of the hiring came hours after Saleh had been in Music City for his in-person interview with the organization the same day the Titans hosted Matt Nagy for his interview.
It had been previously reported that Saleh and Nagy were among three finalists for the Tennessee job, and the hiring of Saleh removes another vacant head coaching position from the field.
Saleh takes over a Titans team that has 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and a projected $100 million in cap space.
It wasn’t immediately clear how long or for how much his contract with the Titans was for, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that “the two sides impressed each other enough to move forward together.”
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Saleh is expected to call the defensive plays in Tennessee, which the new head coach did not do during his time with the Jets and wished he had done differently.
The new gig will give Saleh a second chance after a chaotic stint as the head coach of the Jets, which lasted three-plus seasons before he was fired following a 2-3 start during the 2024 season.
It was the only time that he had been a head coach and went 20- 36 during that span, from 2021 through 2024.
There had been some interest in Saleh during the last coaching cycle, but he ended up returning to the 49ers to serve as defensive coordinator, a role he held previously for four seasons in San Francisco from 2017-2020.
