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Robert Saleh is glad to be away from at least one part of head coaching duty.
The former Jets coach, now back in his old digs as defensive coordinator of the 49ers, told reporters Thursday that he’s glad “not to deal with all the administrative stuff that comes with being a head coach” and can now focus on coaching football.
“The perspective, and that’s what was exciting about coming back. Just being in a building where I was once a coordinator and now having a global view,” Saleh said. “There’s a lot of empathy now understanding what [49ers coach] Kyle [Shanahan’s] going through and trying to help him out best I can.”
Saleh, who went 20-36 over three-plus seasons with the Jets before being fired after a 2-3 start last season, said there was no temptation to go anywhere but San Francisco, where he was defensive coordinator for four seasons before taking the Jets job.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for this organization. Obviously starting at the top, [owner] Jed [York] is phenomenal. But Kyle, his family, [GM] John [Lynch], they gave me so much,” Saleh said.
“During the first two years, you think about those first two years as D coordinator, ’17 and ’18, it wasn’t easy. And it could’ve been very easy for them to move on from me. I’m indebted to this organization, those me for the rest of my life. They stuck with me, made it happen, did what we needed to do and the rest is history. I’m excited about the opportunity to get a chance to do it again.”
Saleh’s defense helped lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2020 before he was hired in New York. His Jets tenure, however, never quite got on track.
For the first two years, the club struggled to try and develop Zach Wilson before finally appearing to move on when it brought in Aaron Rodgers in 2023.
That experiment, though, turned out to be an unmitigated disaster. Rodgers tore his Achilles in his first appearance with the Jets, and when healthy last season, looked more like a 40-plus-year-old quarterback than a former MVP.
Constant off-field distractions dotted the quarterback’s time in New York as well, and Saleh was unceremoniously fired after the Jets dropped their Week 5 game in London against Minnesota.
“You learn a lot. I’ve said it before, there is no handbook for a first-time head coach, there’s no handbook for first time going through life,” Saleh said. “You learn a lot through the process, you figure out a lot about yourself, you understand and pick up if you look inward and looking the mirror, you can identify some of the things you did wrong, some of the things you like to do differently.
“Anytime you get an experience that’s different than the ones you’ve always experienced, you have an opportunity to grow. So there’s been a lot of self reflection and growth in that regard.”
