The New York Jets have an agreement in principle to appoint Robert Saleh as their next head coach, the team announced late Thursday.
Saleh, the former San Francisco 49ers defense coordinator, will replace Adam Gase, who was sacked after a 2-14 season with New York. Saleh is the fourth Jets head coach since 2009 and the 20th in franchise history. He is arguably the first Muslim head coach in NFL history.
Saleh also interviewed the work of the Philadelphia Eagles after the organization fired Doug Pederson on Monday. New York also conducted an interview with the offensive coordinator of Tennessee Titans, Arthur Smith, earlier Thursday. Smith left without an agreement being reached, and then the Jets moved to Saleh.
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The 41-year-old is the son of Lebanese parents and the second minority coach to get a head coach position in the franchise, after Todd Bowles in 2015. He will be the fourth active minority coach next to Ron Rivera, the Dolphins, in Washington. Brian Flores and Mike Tomlin of the Steelers.
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He has spent the last four seasons with the 49ers. His defense was No. 2 in the league last season and made a Super Bowl appearance before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco has handled a number of injuries on the defensive side of football this season and has not played nearly as well.
There will be a lot of questions surrounding the Jets this season, including what to do with Sam Darnold. New York has the number 2 pick in the upcoming draft, and the smart pick appears to be at quarterback. But it all depends on what they see in Darnold.
New York also has 20 unlimited free agents to meet with and make decisions.
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It will be Saleh’s first head coach at any level. He started his NFL career in 2005 as a defensive assistant with the Houston Texans.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.