Titans Finalizing Deal to Hire Robert Saleh as Next Head Coach

The Tennessee Titans are working to finalize a deal to hire Robert Saleh — the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator — as their next head coach, according to multiple reports. Saleh, who previously served as head coach of the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024, spent Monday meeting with the Titans in Tennessee, and both sides reportedly impressed each other enough to move forward on an agreement.

Saleh’s hiring would mark a return to head coaching after a challenging stint in New York where he finished with a 20-36 record before being relieved of his duties early in the 2024 season. As defensive coordinator for the 49ers this past season, he helped lead a unit that reached the NFL playoffs before being eliminated in the Divisional Round, despite coping with significant injuries.

The Titans conducted in-person interviews with Saleh and Matt Nagy, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, but Saleh appears poised to get the job, giving him a second chance at running an NFL team. He would succeed interim coach Mike McCoy, who finished the 2025 season after the midseason firing of Brian Callahan following a disappointing 3-14 campaign.

Saleh’s task will include reshaping a Titans roster that has struggled in recent seasons and developing young talent, including 2025 first-overall draft pick quarterback Cam Ward. His defensive expertise and leadership experience — honed over years in the NFL with San Francisco, New York, and other coaching roles — is expected to be a focal point as Tennessee aims to return to competitiveness in the AFC South.

If the deal is completed, Saleh becomes the next in a wave of head coaching changes this offseason, joining other hires around the league as teams look to reset ahead of the 2026 season.