The National Football League‘s New York Jets have made history with the hiring of its 20th head coach in franchise history: former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is now the first Muslim head coach
in the history of the NFL.The Jets announced yesterday that it had reached an agreement in principle with Saleh to take over the team.
For the
past four seasons, Saleh was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. Under his direction in 2020, San Francisco had a top-10 defense in total yards (fifth), rush yards (seventh), and pass yards (fourth). Last season, San Francisco finished second overall in the league in total defense, with 281.8 yards per game allowed; the team was first in pass defense with 169.2 pass yards per game allowed. Saleh received The Sporting News‘ Coordinator of the Year award.News traveled quickly and Saleh was immediately congratulated and recognized.