Robert Saleh

Robert Saleh, born on January 31, 1979, in Dearborn, Michigan, began his football journey at Northern Michigan University, where he was a four-year starter at tight end from 1997 to 2001. After earning a finance degree, a pivotal event—his brother David’s survival of the 9/11 attacks in 2001—ignited his passion to pursue a career in football coaching. His professional coaching career began in the collegiate ranks, with defensive assistant roles at Michigan State University (2002–2003), Central Michigan University (2004), and the University of Georgia (2005).

Saleh transitioned to the NFL in 2005 as a coaching intern with the Houston Texans. He steadily advanced within the Texans organization, serving as a defensive quality control coach from 2006 to 2008 and then as assistant linebackers coach from 2009 to 2010. During his time in Houston, he contributed to the development of notable linebackers like DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing. His career continued with the Seattle Seahawks from 2011 to 2013 as a defensive quality control coach, where he was part of the Super Bowl XLVIII championship team, known for its “Legion of Boom” defense. Following this, he spent three seasons (2014-2016) as the linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he helped improve their defense, particularly against the run.

His significant rise in the NFL came with the San Francisco 49ers, where he served as defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020. Under his direction, the 49ers defense consistently ranked among the league’s elite, culminating in a Super Bowl LIV appearance in 2020. This success led to his first head coaching role with the New York Jets, a position he held from 2021 to 2024. During his tenure, he guided several young players to All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, and the Jets defense consistently ranked in the top 10. After his time as head coach, he briefly served as an offensive consultant for the Green Bay Packers in 2024 before returning to the San Francisco 49ers as their defensive coordinator in 2025.