Joe Douglas opted to go with who he felt was the best candidate for the job over the buddy system when he hired Robert Saleh as Jets head coach Thursday night.
Instead of finding Adam Gase’s replacement within his NFL circle, Douglas kept an open-mind throughout New York’s search for a new head coach. Prior to Friday’s Zoom interview, Gang Green’s general manager had never met Robert Saleh, per Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager. Past relationships did not play any part in Douglas’ hiring process, though, as the Jets brought Saleh to Florham Park for an in-person interview Tuesday and sealed the deal with him 48 hours later.
Per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes, Saleh was on New York’s initial list of candidates but was not at the top of the list until Douglas and company met him Friday. Thanks to his intensity and ability to change the culture of the team, Saleh won over the room and, ultimately, himself the gig.
Less than a week ago, Douglas didn’t know Saleh. Now, he is entrusting him to help him get the Jets out of the doldrums. Considering Saleh has energy and leadership skills to change the culture at One Jets Drive and comes with the reputation as one of the best defensive coaches in the NFL, early indications are that Douglas made the right call orchestrating an extensive search for New York’s next head coach and hiring outside of his individual comfort zone.