The Tennessee Titans on Thursday officially announced Robert Saleh as their new head coach.
Saleh in 2025 was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, and prior to that served as the head coach for the New York Jets from 2021-24. In that time period, the Jets had a combined record of 20-36.
Saleh will be entering his 22nd season in the NFL in 2026, beginning his NFL career as a coaching intern with the Houston Texans in 2005. Saleh then spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars before joining the 49ers for his first stint as defensive coordinator from 2017-20.
"It is a tremendous honor to serve as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans," Saleh said in a statement. "I want to thank Amy Adams Strunk, Mike Borgonzi and Chad Brinker for trusting me to lead this football team. Our connection and shared vision during the interview process was immediately evident and reinforced my desire to be a Titan. This is where I want to be. We're not at the level we need to be as a team and a part of my love for this game is getting better every day and doing it together. We will be deliberate in everything we do. Championships are won by people, and we have the right people to construct a championship-caliber program. Finally, I want to make sure I recognize and thank the San Francisco 49ers, The York Family, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch for five special seasons, where I grew not only as a coach, but as a husband and father. The relationships I built during my time there have made me better and given me the opportunity to be here. My family is fired up to join the Titans and this special community. Let's get to work."
Saleh will be the 22nd coach in Oilers/Titans history, and the eighth coach since the franchise moved to Tennessee. He will replace head coach Brian Callahan, who was fired six games into the 2025-26 season; Mike McCoy took over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season, as the Titans finished with league-worst 3-14 record.
"On behalf of the entire Titans organization and Nashville community, I am thrilled to welcome Robert Saleh as our head coach," general manager Mike Borgonzi said. "Robert embodies the fundamental values of what we believe a Titan should look like and represent. He's smart, tough, dependable, and values working with people. His innate ability to lead and respond to adversity is what makes him the right person to lead our football program back to one whose identity embodies sustainable success. We understand the urgency to win, and believe this is a step in that direction with a coach best equipped to accomplish our goals. The work has just begun, but I'm grateful for this partnership and excited to build this together."
