Robert Saleh is officially the head coach of the New York Jets.
The team made the announcement official on Tuesday afternoon, just a day after the former 49ers defensive coordinator put pen to paper. Now, Saleh is at One Jets Drive and ready to get to work.
Done deal. Let's get to work.#TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/dNng6T9Kud
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 19, 2021
New York went through an extensive head-coaching search, interviewing nine different candidates with unique skills and backgrounds. Saleh, along with newly-hired Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, were the only two candidates to receive in-person interviews with Jets officials. Following New York’s second meeting with Smith this past Thursday, the Jets agreed in principle to make Saleh their next head coach.
“After a thorough process and meeting with a number of talented coaches, it was clear to us that Robert was the right person to help us move forward,” Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said in a statement. “He is a collaborative leader with proven success in the NFL. In addition to his work as a coach on this level, his passion and knowledge of the game along with his vision for establishing an identity for this team sold me. It was also clear that he will partner with Joe (Douglas) to help foster and develop the winning culture we are striving to establish. For us as a group, we were impressed with the way he commanded the space and his ability to communicate his vision throughout the process.”
Douglas added: “We spoke to some tremendous coaches, but Rob is the right partner and leader for us. His vision for this team aligns with what we have been working to establish here the last two years.”
Saleh, who served as the 49ers defensive coordinator from 2017-2020, felt that this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. The organization’s 20th head coach will be introduced on Thursday at 2 p.m., but he already has a message for Jets fans.
“There are no shortcuts to success, and I am committed to working with Joe to build this team the right way: with talented players that play fast and smart, and a staff that supports and helps develop them through it all,” Saleh said.
“To Jets Fans, your passion and commitment are priceless. I understand your expectations and embrace them. We have a lot of work to do and can’t do it without your support.”