The Houston Texans are searching for their fourth full-time coach in club history, and their sights ought to be set on the Bay Area.
According to 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has been the driving force behind keeping the team from crumbling amid its setbacks that have befallen them in 2020, from losing their starting quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo to their premier edge defender in Nick Bosa.
“You have to give Coach Saleh, you’ve got to give Robert Saleh an abundance of credit,” Sherman said after the 49ers’ 23-20 win at the Los Angeles Rams. “You have to give him an unusual amount of credit, and I think, not only here, but in the league, you don’t. To have the injuries that we’ve had week after week after week, setback week after week. We lose two D-linemen in the bye week. We have uncertainty. We lose linebackers throughout the week. We got guys who can’t practice throughout the week. [Javon] Kinlaw barely got to practice on Friday. It’s week after week, and he never made an excuse. And statistically we’re still a top-5 defense in almost every category.”
The 49ers aren’t top-5 in yards, yards per play, turnovers, or points allowed. However, they are consistently hovering in the top-10 range, placements that exceed expectations considering the injuries and challenges the defending NFC champions have had to face.
“He’s not making any excuses,” Sherman said. “He’s making great plans week in and week out, and we’re making it happen. And I expect him to be a head coach next year because of what he has been able to do. He’s able to rally and he’s a leader of men. That goes a long way.”
If the Texans were to add Saleh as their coach, it would allow for the current offensive infrastructure to stay in place with Tim Kelly as offensive coordinator.[vertical-gallery id=56632]