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Tennessee Titans hiring Robert Saleh as next head coach
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- Tennessee Titans hiring Robert Saleh as next head coach
The Tennessee Titans will hire San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as their next coach , beginning a new era under second-year quarterback Cam Ward as the franchise aims to move forward after a miserable period marked by four consecutive losing seasons, four consecutive years with either a coach or general manager change and a stretch of just 12 wins in the team's last 58 games.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Tennessean that the Titans and Saleh have agreed to terms of the deal. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced.
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Saleh, 46, was in his second stint as 49ers defensive coordinator this season. In between his successful first run at the job (2017-20) and his return to the Bay Area for 2025, he served as New York Jets coach from 2021 until he was fired five games into the 2024 season. Saleh posted a 20-36 record during his time with the Jets, finishing 7-10 twice and never finishing better than third in the AFC East.
Robert Saleh: Meet Titans coaching hire
The 49ers advanced to the divisional round of the NFC postseason in 2025 despite suffering major injuries to several of the top players on Saleh's side of the ball, including All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner , All-Pro edge rusher Nick Bosa and first-round pick Mykel Williams . San Francisco 's 2025 unit hasn't been as dominant as the top-five units Saleh orchestrated in 2019 and 2020, ranking at or near the bottom of the league in sack rate and interception rate. The end results have been similar, though, as Saleh's scheme adjustments kept San Francisco in contention for the No. 1 seed in the NFC absent his defense's most reliable contributors, and after a roster purge following the 2024 season drained the unit of several other starters.
Saleh's three-plus seasons in New York were tumultuous. The highs, especially on defense, were impressive. The Jets posted top-three defenses in 2022 and 2023 behind Pro Bowl and All-Pro seasons from players like cornerback Sauce Gardner , Quinnen Williams , Quincy Williams , C.J. Mosley and Jermaine Johnson . But the lows on offense wasted those performances. The Jets never found a reliable option at quarterback during the Saleh era, failing to develop first-round pick Zach Wilson behind center and whiffing on the big-money splash to acquire four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers . Rodgers was injured in Week 1 of the 2023 season, and stumbled out to a 2-3 start in 2024, leading to Saleh's firing.
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Before linking up with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco in 2017, Saleh had worked his way up from intern and quality control positions with Houston and Seattle to his first position coaching job with Jacksonville in 2014. Saleh followed former Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to Jacksonville to be his linebackers coach, a position he held for three seasons.
Though Saleh is a defensive coach by trade, he boasts several connections to the Shanahan and Sean McVay offensive coaching trees. His time working alongside Shanahan in San Francisco is the obvious connection, but Saleh's friendship with Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur dates back to their year spent as graduate assistants at Central Michigan in 2004. After Saleh and the Jets parted ways in early 2024, Saleh linked back up with LaFleur and served as a consultant with the Packers for the remainder of the season.
Titans coaching search
The Titans fired former coach Brian Callahan in October after a 1-5 start to the 2025 season that followed a 3-14 debut year in 2024. Under interim coach Mike McCoy, the Titans finished the 2025 season with another 3-14 record and earned the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Saleh replaces Brian Callahan, who served as Titans coach for only 23 games before being dismissed with a 4-19 record. The Titans have finished 3-14 in each of the last two seasons, making the Callahan era one of the least successful in franchise history.
Titans first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi led the search to replace Callahan. His deputies on the search team included president of football operations Chad Brinker, assistant GM Dave Ziegler, football advisor Reggie McKenzie and vice president of player personnel Dan Saganey. The Titans interviewed 16 candidates for the vacancy, speaking to everyone from Super Bowl winning coach Mike McCarthy to prominent coordinators like Vance Joseph and Arthur Smith to recently fired coaches like Kevin Stefanski and Mike McDaniel.
The Titans were one of 10 teams with head coaching vacancies this offseason, joined by the Arizona Cardinals , Atlanta Falcons , Baltimore Ravens , Buffalo Bills , Cleveland Browns , Las Vegas Raiders , Miami Dolphins , New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers .
Saleh becomes the Titans' seventh full-time coach since the franchise moved to Nashville in 1999. He follows Jeff Fisher, Mike Munchak, Ken Whisenhunt, Mike Mularkey, Mike Vrabel and Brian Callahan. Mike McCoy, who was the Titans' interim following Callahan's ousting, also coached the team for 11 games in 2025. Only Fisher and Vrabel ended their tenures as Titans with winning records.
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Titans coaching search candidates
Prior to hiring Saleh, the Titans interviewed the following candidates for their coaching vacancy:
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Colts DC Lou Anarumo
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Former Giants coach Brian Daboll
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Former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett
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Former Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon
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Packers DC Jeff Hafley
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Broncos DC Vance Joseph
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Former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy
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Former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel
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Titans interim HC Mike McCoy
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Chargers DC Jesse Minter
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Former Falcons coach Raheem Morris
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Chiefs OC Matt Nagy
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49ers DC Robert Saleh
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Steelers OC Arthur Smith
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Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo
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Former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski (hired by Atlanta Falcons)
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com . Follow Nick on X @nicksuss . Subscribe to the Talkin' Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Robert Saleh to be Titans coach, new leader for Cam Ward's development
