Saleh's brother David was in the South Tower during the September 11 attacks in New York City in 2001 and saw the fireball from the initial plane's impact on the North Tower from the building's 61st floor. After ignoring calls by the public intercom within the South Tower to return to their offices, he made it down to the 24th floor before the second plane hit, this time around 50 floors above in his tower. He safely made it to the lobby and was able to escape to safety.[7] Saleh credits this in providing the spark for him to pursue his dreams of coaching football.[8]
In 2005, Saleh was hired as an intern with the Houston Texans, working with the defensive unit.[9] In February 2006, he was retained in Gary Kubiak's staff as a defensive quality control coach under defensive coordinator Richard Smith.[9][10][11] In January 2009, he was promoted to assistant linebackers coach.[12][13]
Following the Seahawks' 2013 championship, Saleh was named linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars under head coach Gus Bradley.[2][15] Saleh was not retained under new head coach Doug Marrone.
On February 13, 2017, Saleh was named defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers under new head coach Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan and Saleh previously were assistant coaches for the Houston Texans from 2006–2009.[16]
During the 2019 season, the 49ers defense was sixth in the league in forced turnovers (27), second in total defense (281.8 yards per game), first in passing defense (169.2 yards per game), and fourth in sacks (48). This was the first time since 2003 that the 49ers finished in the top 10 in both scoring and yards per game.[17] Saleh helped lead the team to a 13–3 record and a Super Bowl LIV berth, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 31–20.[18][19]
New York Jets
On January 14, 2021, Saleh signed a five-year contract to become the head coach of the New York Jets.[20]
On September 12, 2021, Saleh lost in his head coaching debut against the Carolina Panthers by a score of 19–14. He won his first game as a head coach three weeks later in a 27–24 overtime victory over the Tennessee Titans. In his first season as head coach, the Jets finished 4–13,[21] missing the playoffs for the eleventh consecutive year.[22] In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he led the team to 7–10 record in both seasons, missing the playoffs.[23][24]
On October 8, 2024, Saleh was fired by the Jets after the team began the season with a 2–3 record. Saleh finished his tenure in New York with a 20–36 (.357) regular season record, overall.[25]
Green Bay Packers
On October 23, 2024, Packers coach Matt LaFleur confirmed to reporters that he had enlisted Saleh in a consultant role to help him with the offensive gameplan, but that his role would be "fluid".[26]
Saleh and his wife, Sanaa, have five sons and two daughters.[15] Saleh and his wife speak Arabic.[27]
Saleh is of Lebanese descent.[28] As part of an NFL heritage program,[29] he has occasionally worn a patch of the national flag of Lebanon sewn onto his sideline gear.[30][31] Upon his hiring by the Jets, he became the first Muslim head coach in NFL history.[32][33] He is also the fourth Arab-American head coach of the NFL, after Ed Khayat (Philadelphia Eagles 1971–72), Abe Gibron (Chicago Bears 1972–1974), and Rich Kotite (Philadelphia Eagles 1991–94), who are all also of Lebanese descent.[34]
.png)
_(cropped).jpg)
