After a 1-5 start to the 2025 NFL season, the Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan. It was his second year with Tennessee. The team finished with a 3-14 record in back-to-back seasons.
Since the regular season has ended, the Titans have been hard at work searching for their next head coach. Robert Saleh and Matt Nagy both received in-person interviews with Tennessee. Late on Monday evening, the Titans announced they have hired Robert Saleh as their next head coach. He is the 20th head coach in Oilers/ Titans history, and the seventh since the team relocated to Tennessee.
Robert Saleh is a head coach in the NFL again for the first time since 2024
The #Titans are set to hire former #49ers DC Robert Saleh as their new head coach, per The Insiders.
Saleh impressed during the interview process, making him the person to lead this young team. The ex-#Jets coach spent today in Nashville interviewing a second time. pic.twitter.com/b7GpmAJChd
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 20, 2026
Since 2005, Robert Saleh has had a coaching role in the NFL at some level. He spent time with the Texans, Seahawks, and Jaguars before he was named defensive coordinator for the 49ers in 2017. Saleh held that role for four seasons before he was hired by the Jets. He was the head coach in New York for four seasons before he was fired after Week 5 in 2024. Robert Saleh left the Jets with a 20-36 record.
After his time in New York, Robert Saleh landed back in a familiar spot. He served as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2025. Following a strong season with the Niners, Robert Saleh was back in the head coaching cycle. He interviewed with several teams. That includes the Titans, who had Saleh come to Tennessee for an in-person interview on Monday.
ESPN sources: Titans are working to finalize a deal to hire 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as their head coach. Saleh spent Monday in Tennessee with the Titans, and the two sides impressed each other enough to move forward together. pic.twitter.com/rXC94my62B
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 20, 2026
Earlier in the day, the Titans met with Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, who was also a candidate for the job. However, Robert Saleh wowed the front office in his interview and won the job. General manager Mike Borgonzi essentially had final say on who Tennessee was going to hire. He chose Robert Saleh. Borgonzi said he wanted a head coach who could connect with the entire roster.
Robert Saleh said that is something he struggled to do in his time with the Jets. However, Saleh said he worked on that in his second stint with the Niners. Now that he’s a head coach again, Saleh will not let that happen twice. Additionally, Robert Saleh said he will be calling the plays as defensive coordinator for the Tiatns. That’s a role he did not take with the Jets. Another change he wanted to make in his second head coaching opportunity. Can Robert Saleh build a culture in Tennessee and make the Titans relevant again?
