The San Francisco 49ers season is over after their disappointing loss to the Seattle Seahawks over the weekend in the NFC Divisional Round. For the players, it ends quite a memorable season as the team fought through adversity with a strong late-season push to make the playoffs and ultimately win 13 games.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan arguably had the best coaching season of his career with how the 49ers continued to pull out wins in tough situations. And defensive coordinator Robert Saleh had a great
first year, finding a way to win games without the personnel on defense.
With the season over, Saleh finally has a freer schedule, which bodes well for him as he’s currently involved in many head coaching openings, getting four interviews so far: the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, and the Miami Dolphins.
Saleh initially wasn’t expected to have interviews before the Seahawks game, but had two on Thursday: the Dolphins and Cardinals, with the latter reportedly being a late-night one.
He then interviewed with the Ravens on Sunday and was expected to have a virtual interview with the Titans on Sunday as well. However, Tennessee has moved that interview to an in-person one on Monday, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that he has become a finalist for the job.
Saleh joins Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as the two other known finalists for the Titans job.
Hafley has been linked significantly to the Miami Dolphins’ opening, as former Packers executive Jon Eric-Sullivan recently landed the general manager job there. Hafley had been requested for a second interview in Miami, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported he’s emerged as the frontrunner for the job.
Nagy has also been linked a ton to the Titans’ job, as he has former head coaching experience and knows General Manager Mike Borgonzi, who was a former front office executive with the Chiefs. But Saleh will have his opportunity to win the job, as all three candidates are scheduled to interview in person on Monday.
Will he ultimately leave? That’s not a certainty, but with jobs continuing to open up, there are more and more opportunities for Saleh to get a head-coaching job in this cycle, and he may very well take one.
