Titans to hire 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as head coach: Source

The Tennessee Titans are finalizing an agreement with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to become the franchise’s next head coach, a league source tells The Athletic.

Saleh, 46, previously served as the head coach of the New York Jets from 2021 until his firing midway through the 2024 season. He compiled a 20-36 record over three-plus seasons with the Jets, with zero playoff appearances. Saleh spent the remainder of the 2024 season as an offensive consultant for the Green Bay Packers before returning to San Francisco in 2025 for a second stint as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.

The Titans had previously scheduled a virtual interview with Saleh on Sunday night, before changing the meeting to an in-person interview set for Monday. Tennessee had also scheduled in-person interviews with Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley — who was hired by the Miami Dolphins earlier Monday — and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.

Hiring Saleh marks the end of a busy couple of weeks for Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi and president of football operations Chad Brinker. Tennessee requested the most first-round interviews of any team in this head-coaching cycle, from former head coaches Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy to coordinators including Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The Titans had previously sought to meet with John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski. However, the two former AFC North coaches agreed to terms with the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, respectively, before Titans brass could meet with them in person.

Despite losing their top two defenders in pass rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner for most of the season, the 49ers allowed 21.8 points per game, which ranked 13th in the NFL. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to the inevitability of losing Saleh to a head-coaching opportunity after the team’s wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Saleh’s that good anyway,” Shanahan said. “Regardless of what happens today or what happens next week, I know it’s a matter of time before Saleh’s a head coach again.”

Saleh has dealt with challenging circumstances in recent years, including the dysfunction of the Jets during his time as head coach and the injuries to the 49ers in 2025. He now takes over a Titans team that is trying to recover from a messy divorce from Mike Vrabel in 2023 after Vrabel led the franchise to three playoff berths in his six seasons, including an appearance in the conference championship game in the 2019 season.

The Titans need a boost defensively after ranking fifth-worst in the NFL in 2025 in points allowed. Saleh’s coaching staff decisions will also be significant as the organization hopes to build on the flashes shown by quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward finished the season strong, throwing for two touchdowns in each of his final four full games. The Titans enter the 2026 offseason with over $100 million in cap space, which is the most in the league, according to Spotrac, and the No. 4 pick in the draft.

Click here to read article