Robert Saleh had made a name for himself for being one of the most respected coaches in the NFL. As the former head coach of the New York Jets, Saleh’s journey has not been easy. However, Saleh’s cultural uniqueness and achievements in the NFL have earned him a special place in the league.
Robert Saleh’s Family
Born in Dearborn, Mich., Saleh is a United States national, but his roots trace back to Lebanon. Sam and Fatin, Saleh’s parents, emigrated from the Middle East to the United States, where Saleh was born in 1979.
Saleh was raised in a loving family consisting of a brother, David, and two sisters, who were all brought up in Michigan. It was actually his brother David’s presence at the South Tower during the 9/11 attack that made Saleh rethink his career and return to football.
Robert Saleh's brother was working in the South Tower on 9/11 and survived the attack.
But it made Saleh rethink his life.
So he quit his 9-5 job and got into coaching.
And 22 years later, on 9/11, he'll open the season on MNF as the New York Jets head coach.
That's poetic. pic.twitter.com/8LHrrh9XdI
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 11, 2023
His upbringing was steeped in Lebanese culture and his family’s values of hard work. Therefore, Saleh started his journey as a coach at the collegiate level, finally rising to the level of head coach of the Jets in 2021.
Interestingly, his appointment made Saleh the first Muslim head coach in NFL history. Throughout his life, the fourth-ever Arab-American coach in the NFL has cherished a strong family bond. He carried it forward with his wife, Sanaa Zainab, who he married in 2007.
The Saleh’s are now parents to seven children who cherish a close-knit family like the Jets coach had growing up. Both Sanaa and Robert speak Arabic.
Saleh’s Achievements in the NFL Over the Years
Saleh’s coaching career has been marked by both success and innovation.
While he initially leaned towards a career as a football player, Saleh moved to a coaching role at the collegiate level in 2002. The former Northern Michigan Wildcats tight end started his coaching journey in the NFL as a defensive intern for Houston Texans in 2005.
However, he worked his way through various roles with teams like the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. He gained a reputation for building strong defenses, which led him to a Super Bowl XLVIII victory with the Seahawks.
Shortly after, his crowning achievement came in 2021, when he was appointed the Jets’ head coach. Unfortunately, after Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season, Saleh was fired. He finished his tenure in New York with a 20-36 mark, having failed to achieve a winning record in any of his three-plus seasons in the AFC East.
Acquiring future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers was supposed to change that. New York traded for Rodgers during the summer of 2023, hoping his addition — combined with a still-elite unit on the defensive side of the ball — would result in wins.
However, Rodgers infamously tore his Achilles on the fourth play of the 2023 campaign, ending the Jets’ season before it started. Rodgers’ 2024 return made this year a make-or-break campaign for New York, and things hadn’t gone according to plan in the first five weeks of the season.