Jets to Hire 49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh as Next Head Coach

Saleh, 41, has been the 49ers' defensive coordinator since 2017, and will replace fired head coach Adam Gase.

The New York Jets have reached an agreement with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be their next head coach, the team announced Thursday night.

Saleh, 41, will get a five-year deal with the Jets. He's been San Francisco's defensive coordinator since 2017.

Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports

Saleh replaces Adam Gase, who was fired after two years and a 9-23 record. The Jets have not had a winning season since 2015, and have not made the playoffs since 2010.

The Jets defense ranked 26th in points per game allowed (28.6) and 24th in total yards allowed per game (387.6) last season. Saleh led a defensive turnaround in San Francisco over the past two years. After ranking dead last with 406.4 yards allowed per game in 2018, the 49ers ranked second in 2019 (281.8) and ranked fifth this season (314.4) despite enduring many injuries and coronavirus-related absences.

Saleh will bring 49ers passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur with him to New York as his offensive coordinator, in a move first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter and confirmed by Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

The Jets completed their second interview with Saleh on Wednesday. The team met with nine candidates in the first round of interviews, and Saleh was the first to be brought in for a second.

Saleh becomes the NFL's fourth minority currently in a head coaching role, joining Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, Miami's Brian Flores and Washington's Ron Rivera. He first broke through in the NFL as an intern with the Texans in 2005. He had stops with the Seahawks and Jaguars as a linebackers coach and quality control coach before landing the defensive coordinator job in San Francisco.

Several members of the 49ers organization spoke highly of New York's hire after the news broke Thursday.

Text from @49ers GM John Lynch on Robert Saleh: "Robert's earned this opportunity. He's smart, a tremendously gifted leader and ready for this challenge. We'll miss him dearly but he's left us better and we'll be proud of all that he'll accomplish. The @Jets are very fortunate."

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 15, 2021

The @nyjets got a great one! Congrats to them!

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) January 15, 2021