The Robert Saleh Story. The first Muslim-American NFL Head Coach

posted on: Jul 23, 2025

By Jake Harris / Arab America Contributing Writer

Dearborn, Michigan, is the largest community of Arab Americans in the United States. It is a symbol of America’s ethnic diversity. Home to many Arab American pathbreakers, it is also home to Robert Saleh, an American of Lebanese descent who has gone from high school football to a head coaching job in the National Football League. Saleh became the first Muslim-American to become the head coach of an NFL team when the New York Jets hired him in 2021. 

Saleh played high school football at Fordson High School, a school that has become over 90% Arab American since the boom of Arab immigration in the 20th century. 

Saleh’s coaching dreams revived

September 11th, 2001, was a defining moment in Saleh’s life. A moment that changed his perspective on the trajectory of his life. His brother narrowly avoided death on 9/11, escaping the second tower. At the time, he had been a credit analyst for a bank in downtown Detroit. Saleh described it as “crunching numbers all day”. Following the thrilling Super Bowl between the Patriots and Rams in 2001, Saleh wished to follow his father’s passion for the game, pursuing a career in coaching. Saleh said the morning after Super Bowl 36, he “broke down crying” at his desk as the realization of what he felt was his true purpose hit. That day, Robert Saleh decided to give coaching a shot and pursue his dream. 

Early Coaching Career

Saleh, since the beginning of his coaching days, has been a defensively minded coach. He was a defensive assistant at Michigan State, Georgia, and Central Michigan, respectively. Early in his NFL coaching career, Saleh was part of the legendary 2013 Seattle Seahawks defensive staff that presided over one of the greatest defenses in history. The unit was known as the “Legion of Boom”.

Saleh’s first coordinator job came with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. The three-year stint in San Francisco involved the defense being near the top of many metrics. The success of this 49ers defense made Saleh a marketable head coaching candidate for teams that needed one. Saleh’s ability to successfully develop defensive prospects also made him a hot commodity in the head coaching carousel. 

Head Coach of the New York Jets

The New York Jets had been perennial strugglers for a while, but hit rock bottom under Head Coach Adam Gase. A 2-14 season in 2020 led the Jets to make a change at the head coaching position. Strategically, the Jets wanted a new head coach to develop the Quarterback they would inevitably draft with the 2nd overall pick. Sam Darnold, their 2018 selection, did not work out. The Jets were prepared to cut their losses at the Quarterback position. It is a well-known position among NFL analysts that young quarterbacks who are drafted into organizations with unstable leadership can hinder their development. 

Growing Pains for a Young Team

Starting the season with a rookie quarterback coming off a 2-14 season was never going to be an easy task for Saleh. The Jets were in a rebuild, and patience was essential to Quarterback Zach Wilson’s development. 

While Wilson showed glimpses of greatness in his rookie season, the growing pains were too much to overcome in season 1. The Jets finished 4-13, coming last in the AFC East.

2022 was a huge opportunity for the Jets to boost themselves in the draft, with 3 first-round picks. Saleh wanted to use his defensive knowledge to bring in the best possible options to sure up the defense. The draft, in hindsight, was a huge success for the Jets. Cornerback Sauce Gardner and Defensive Tackle Quinnen Williams were Pro Bowlers in their rookie years. They both would go on to be top defensive stars in the league. The quick development of the prospects can be partially attributed to having a defensive-minded head coach. 

A 7-10 campaign showed steady improvement from season 1, but Zach Wilson’s development was stagnating. Turnovers became a considerable black eye on his stat sheet. Despite improved team performance, the Jets fanbase was becoming fed up with the quarterback’s struggles. 

Saleh’s Jets sign Aaron Rodgers

An opportunity arose that the Jets refused to pass up on in 2023. Aaron Rodgers, an NFL legend, would be leaving the Green Bay Packers. The Jets had an opportunity to finally make a huge move in the Quarterback market and turn themselves into playoff contenders at the very least. 

The Jets signed Aaron Rodgers after a long wait. At last, New York had a quarterback who could change the team overnight. 

Rodgers’ Jets debut was about as electric as you could imagine. He ran out of the tunnel at MetLife Stadium with the American flag on the anniversary of September 11th. Jets fans were ecstatic. After years of suffering, it seemed that the light was at the end of the tunnel. 

The Ultimate Setback

On the first drive of the season, disaster struck. Rodgers was sacked, and his ankle was seen extending beyond a natural position. Further analysis of the play showed an obvious popping motion in his lower leg. It screamed Achilles. An injury no player wants to rehab from, let alone a player nearing 40 years old. Despite the Jets winning a thriller with Zach Wilson coming in as backup, the season seemed all but lost from the beginning. 

Saleh seemed openly dejected in his post-game presser, starting the presser by acknowledging “we’re concerned with his Achilles, it’s not good.”

The rest of the season seemed like a write-off. Wilson struggled mightily in what would be his final season in New York.  

Rodgers returned in 2024, but clearly, his mobility was not what it was. After a 2-3 start to the season with high expectations, Saleh was fired by the Jets. 

Saleh will return to the San Francisco 49ers as defensive coordinator in 2025, with considerable talent remaining on the roster from their 2023 NFC Championship run. 

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