Robert Saleh is back among the ranks of NFL head coaches.
The Tennessee Titans are hiring Saleh, the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, to be their next coach, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Tennessean, which is part of the USA TODAY Network. A person spoke and asked that his name be withheld because the agreement had not yet been finalized.
Advertisement
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Jan. 18 that the Titans scheduled Saleh for an in-person interview on Jan. 19, shortly after their interview with Kansas City Chiefs coordinator Matt Nagy. Saleh had a second interview scheduled with the Arizona Cardinals on Jan. 20, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, but Tennessee wouldn’t let him leave their building without a deal.
Saleh, 46, spent three and a half years as the coach of the New York Jets between 2021 and 2024. He joined the Green Bay Packers staff midway through the 2024 season as an offensive consultant. Before the 2025 season, Saleh returned to San Francisco for a second time as the team’s defensive coordinator, a role he first held under head coach Kyle Shanahan from 2017 to 2020.
1 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Mike McCoy served as interim head coach for the Tennessee Titans 11 games into the 2025 season. Compiled a 2-9 record (.182 winning %).
1 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Mike McCoy served as interim head coach for the Tennessee Titans 11 games into the 2025 season. Compiled a 2-9 record (.182 winning %).
2 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
3 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
4 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Brian Callahan was hired to be the sixth head coach of the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 22, 2024. Before joining the Titans, Callahan was the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, most notably during the 2021 season when the team advanced to Super Bowl LVI.
5 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Mike Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023, compiling a 54-45 record (.545 win %), making three playoff appearances.
6 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Mike Vrabel led the Tennessee Titans to the 2019 AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs, who ended up being Super Bowl champions, defeated the Titans, 35-24, at Arrowhead Stadium.
7 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Mike Vrabel posted a 9-7 record in his first season with the Tennessee Titans, the first of four consecutive winning seasons as the team’s head coach.
8 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Mike Mularkey took over as the interim head coach of the Tennessee Titans in 2015 and was the team’s head coach during the 2017 season. He compiled a 20-21 record (.488 win %), making one playoff appearance.
9 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Mike Mularkey came to Tennessee with previous NFL head coaching experience. He was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills in 2004-05 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012. He has a 36-53 record (.404 winning %) in six seasons as an NFL head coach.
10 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Ken Whisenhunt was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2014 through the first seven games of the 2015 season. Compiled a 3-20 record (.130 winning %). Whisenhunt has the lowest winning percentage of any Titans head coach during the team’s tenure at Tennessee.
11 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Ken Whisenhunt came to the Tennessee Titans with previous head coaching experience. He was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for six seasons (2007-2012) and led the team to an appearance in Super Bowl XLIII.
12 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Mike Munchak was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2011 to 2013, compiling a 22-26 record (.458 winning %).
13 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Jeff Fisher was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans/Oilers from 1997 to 2010, and compiled a 126-98 record (.563 win %), making six playoff appearances and one Super Bowl appearance.
14 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
A dispute between Jeff Fisher and Vince Young eventually led to Fisher being fired as the head coach of the Titans in Jan. 27, 2011. At the time, Fisher was the longest tenured head coach with one team (16 seasons).
15 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Jeff Fisher led the Tennessee Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV, the only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. In this game, the Titans lost to St.
16 / 16
How did the Titans head coaches fare?
Jeff Fisher was the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1994-96 (16-22 record) before the franchise moved to Tennessee.
Tennessee’s head coaching vacancy has been open since Week 6, when the Titans fired former head coach Brian Callahan in his second season at the helm after the team started 1-5. Callahan finished his tenure with a 4-19 record as Tennessee’s head coach.
Saleh takes over for a Titans team that recently drafted quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in 2025 and owns the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
This article first appeared in USA TODAY: Robert Saleh will be the new head coach of the Tennessee Titans
