Robert Saleh is getting a second shot at leading an NFL team - and this time, he believes he’s walking in with more tools in the toolbox.
After a stint as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator helped reset his career, Saleh is now the new head coach of the Tennessee Titans. The move comes after a rocky run with the New York Jets, where he didn’t notch a single winning season in just under four years. But if you think that stretch has shaken his confidence, think again.
“There’s no handbook to a first time at anything you do,” Saleh said during his introductory press conference in Tennessee. “What didn’t I learn? There’s so much to gain any time you’re in the chair as a head coach.”
That chair - the one that comes with the pressure of leading a franchise, managing a locker room, and making the kind of decisions that define careers - taught Saleh plenty. And he’s not shy about saying he’s better for it.
“I can assure you there was tremendous growth through the opportunity I had with the Jets,” he said. “I’m more prepared now than I’ve ever been to attack this position.”
One of the key lessons? Patience with young quarterbacks.
Saleh has previously admitted he may have rushed Zach Wilson into action as a rookie in 2021, a decision that didn’t pan out the way anyone in New York had hoped. That experience is clearly shaping how he approaches his new situation in Tennessee - where the Titans are building around Cam Ward, the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ward, who ended his rookie season nursing an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, remains the centerpiece of Tennessee’s rebuild. And Saleh is making sure his young quarterback is surrounded by the right people.
That starts with Brian Daboll, the former New York Giants head coach, who’s now on board as the Titans’ offensive coordinator. Daboll’s résumé speaks for itself: he helped mold Josh Allen into an MVP-caliber quarterback in Buffalo and played a pivotal role in Daniel Jones’ development during the Giants’ 2022 playoff run.
“Talking with [Daboll] over the course of the last few weeks, he is the perfect man to match up with Cam and to maximize who he is,” Saleh said. “We’re really pumped to get to work with Cam and get him to where we all know he can be.”
Ward, for his part, seems locked in on his recovery and development. Despite the shoulder injury, he said his mechanical progress is “still on schedule,” a promising sign for a franchise banking heavily on his upside.
So now the Titans, with a new head coach, a rising young quarterback, and a proven offensive mind in Daboll, are hoping this fresh start leads to something more than just optimism. For Saleh, it’s a chance to show that the lessons learned in New York weren’t in vain - and that this time around, he’s ready to build something lasting.