Jets make history, hiring Robert Saleh to become NFL's first Muslim head coach

[NYJets8]

By David K. Li

The New York Jets hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be their new head coach, making him the first Muslim to run an NFL sideline, the team announced Thursday night.

"We've reached an agreement in principle with Robert Saleh to become our head coach," the Jets said in a statement.

Saleh has spent the past four years in Santa Clara, California, transforming the 49ers' defense from a onetime laughingstock to one of football's most elite units.

 

He'll take over a team that won just two of 16 games this past season and hasn't made the playoffs since the 2010-11 campaign. The Jets have just one Super Bowl title in franchise history, the famed Joe Namath guarantee of Jan. 12, 1969.

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Before Saleh, 41, a native of Dearborn, Michigan, was hired by the Jets, no Muslim had ever been an NFL head coach, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, a Muslim civil rights advocacy group.

"We welcome this development as another sign of the increasing inclusion and recognition of American Muslims in our diverse society," CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said in a statement late Thursday.

Saleh, whose family traces its roots to Lebanon, will be third Arab American NFL head coach, following in the footsteps of Abe Gibran and Rich Kotite, who are both of Lebanese descent, according to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Gibran was head coach of the Chicago Bears for three seasons, 1972 to 1974. Kotite ran the Philadelphia Eagles for four seasons (1991-94) and the Jets for two seasons (1995-96).

Saleh brings considerable credentials to his new job in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Before he took over the 49ers' defense in 2017, San Francisco had ranked dead last in total yards surrendered.

The 49ers were 24th and 13th in total defense in Saleh's first two years in charge, before the crew ranked second and fifth in the league the last two seasons.

 

 

This season's accomplishments were particularly impressive in light of the staggering number of injuries that prevented many of Saleh's best players from taking the field.

 

David K. Li

David K. Li is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

 

[prime21]

[Prodigal Syndicate]

Awesome.

[DJF71]

Who cares.  I just hope he is a good coach. I don't care about his religion.

[Wonderboy]

10 minutes ago, DJF71 said:

Who cares.  I just hope he is a good coach. I don't care about his religion.

Good to know he's a man of faith because its going to take a miracle to get this team straightened out.  

[The Gun Of Bavaria]

There are a lot of jealous Lions fans around me right now...everyone here wanted him for both his talent and his hometown kid background. If you know anything about Dearborn, where's he from, you know hard his community works and how much they love being an American. I'm excited for him to bring his work ethic and most importantly, some passion to the sidelines. He's just the guy to inject some life into this team. It's going to be a fun ride.

[docdhc]

3 hours ago, NYJets8 said:

 

Saleh, whose family traces its roots to Lebanon, will be third Arab American NFL head coach, following in the footsteps of Abe Gibran and Rich Kotite, who are both of Lebanese descent, according to 

 

David K. Li

David K. Li is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

 

 

Super psyched for this hire!  Just don’t like him being mentioned in the same sentence as Rich Kotite!

[usanyj]

I don’t care what he believes in, looks like, any of it. If you win I’ll love you, if you don’t, I’ll want you fired.

[New York Mick]

Who gives a fck? 

[Irish Jet]

Jets are winning the Superbowl. Inshallah. 

[freestater]

And here I thought the jets were haram.

[redlichtie]

But is he a CEO type??

[southparkcpa]

3 minutes ago, freestater said:

And here I thought the jets were haram.

That’s us.... the fans, normally getting fukked.   

[32EBoozer]

Good news! Not sure he’ll be a successful head coach but I like his energy. I’ll have to trust JD on this one

[LockeJET]

[chrisfaceoff]

That’s awesome he and the Jets together broke a barrier and  are showing a beacon for change in this league, and with my next statement I don’t want to have that seem like I’m downplaying the importance of  such a first:

 

I don’t want him to be thought of as the first Muslim coach. I want him to be judged, applauded, recognized, and (hopefully never) criticized on his own merits as a man and a coach. Hopefully he wants that too. 
 

very happy with this hire and hopefully the future success he finds like we all believe he can, will normalize potential minority hires so we don’t have to beg teams to do it by giving them compensatory draft picks. 
 

that’s how this league and hopefully the country move forward. 
 

Go Jets!

[New York Mick]

40 minutes ago, LockeJET said:

He’s thanking the wrong prophet

[Warfish]

I’ve never once though about a coaches faith.

Just hope he’s a good coach.

[Blackout]

I was hoping for a Buddhist coach but this will do

[New York Mick]

2 minutes ago, Blackout said:

I was hoping for a Buddhist coach but this will do

A Buddhist would be too peaceful

[Biggs]

After 50 plus years in the desert who better than someone with roots in the ME?  Dune messiah.  The chosen one.  

[Jetster]

I thought he was just an American? 

Did the media announce the 1st Polish coach? Irish? They wonder why this country is so damn divided! It's this identity politics. 

Can a guy just get hired anymore without this sh*t? Not one Jet fan including myself gives two f*cks about this guys ethnicity. 

I only care whether this dude can coach...that's it! 

[Biggs]

1 minute ago, Jetster said:

I thought he was just an American? 

Did the media announce the 1st Polish coach? Irish? They wonder why this country is so damn divided! It's this identity politics. 

Can a guy just get hired anymore without this sh*t? Not one Jet fan including myself gives two f*cks about this guys ethnicity. 

I only care whether this dude can coach...that's it! 

If it makes you feel better he also identifies as an earthling.  

[Tranquilo]

11 minutes ago, Jetster said:

I thought he was just an American? 

Did the media announce the 1st Polish coach? Irish? They wonder why this country is so damn divided! It's this identity politics. 

Can a guy just get hired anymore without this sh*t? Not one Jet fan including myself gives two f*cks about this guys ethnicity. 

I only care whether this dude can coach...that's it! 

So defensive...

[The Crusher]

Yeah, not here please. Thank you,