Oct 6, 2024; Tottenham, ENG; A dejected looking New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh in the 2nd Quarter against against Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shaun Brooks-Imagn Images Shaun Brooks-Imagn Images

Raiders to Interview Former Jets HC Saleh

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael France | Last updated Jan 10, 2025 1:03 PM ET

It was reported on Thursday that the Las Vegas Raiders were interested in speaking with former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

It's official now, as NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported -- the Raiders will interview Saleh on Thursday, Jan. 16.

Saleh was fired early on into the NFL season. He was the Jets' coach for four seasons and sported a 20-36 win-loss record at the time of his firing. Prior to his time in New Jersey, he was a successful defensive coordinator with San Fransisco.

It was reported Thursday that Saleh was likely to be offered the defensive coordinator job with the 49ers again, after they fired Nick Sorensen. A return to coordinating seems like a likely path for the former head coach.

Per previous reporting, Raiders on SI beat writer Hondo Carpenter recently spoke about what the Raiders are looking for in their next head coach, specifically what minority owner Tom Brady will be looking for. Brady is in the driver's seat for the search.

"I asked a person, 'Do you think they are going to go in a defensive way, or an offensive way?' And they said 'I don't think that there is a pre-determined side of the ball," Carpenter said on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider" podcast. "... But they told me Tom is looking for a football savant, he's looking for somebody that knows the game. I'll share this with you -- I have a friend that played for the Patriots with Brady on the defensive side of the ball. ... This was at training camp. [Brady] was going after the defense on some things that he thought they were doing wrong, because he knew everybody's job.

"One particular time, he's coming off the field and asking guys what they were seeing. ... He was constantly looking for feedback from the other side of the ball and they said that is exactly what Tom is looking for in a coach. He's not going into it saying 'I have to have an offense, 'I have to have a defense.' ... For example, Bill Belichick many people believe is the greatest defensive coach in the history of the National Football League. But one of the things that impressed people about Belichick is that he knew offense so well. Because of the way he thought as a defensive coach. ... So I was told that the Raiders are not lookin at either side of the ball for a background, that they are looking for someone who has a totality of understanding of the game."

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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