Why Robert Saleh is confident he'll succeed as Titans HC after lackluster Jets tenure

After enjoying a bit of a career reset while serving as the
San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator, former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh was recently hired as the new head coach of the Tennessee Titans.

Saleh failed to record a single winning campaign in less than four full seasons with the Jets. Nevertheless, he sounds confident that his previous experiences will help him enjoy more success this time around. 

Robert Saleh "more prepared" to be head coach with Titans after Jets tenure

"There's no handbook to a first time at anything you do," Saleh explained during his Titans introductory news conference on Thursday, per Michael Baca of the NFL's website. "And what I would say, the proper question would be: What didn't I learn? There's so much to gain from any time you're in the chair as a head coach, and there's so many learning experiences that I had. I can sit here and talk to you for the next four hours about all those different things, but I can assure you that there was tremendous growth through the opportunity that I had with the Jets. I'm more prepared now than I've ever been to attack this position."

Saleh previously acknowledged that he regretted playing former Jets quarterback Zach Wilson as a rookie during the 2021 season, Saleh's first with Gang Green. The coach won't have to make such a call later this year, as 2025 rookie Cam Ward is currently atop Tennessee's depth chart. 

Robert Saleh "pumped" to start working with Brian Daboll, Cam Ward

Saleh recently hired former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll as the Titans' offensive coordinator. Daboll has been credited with helping Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen become an MVP quarterback and with developing Daniel Jones into a signal-caller capable of leading the 2022 Giants to a playoff berth and to a road postseason victory. 

"Talking with [Daboll] over the course of the last few weeks, he is the perfect man to match up with Cam and to maximize who he is," Saleh added. "So, again, we're really pumped to get to work with Cam and get him to where we all know he can be."

As for Ward, the first overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft ended his rookie season dealing with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder. Per ESPN's Turron Davenport, Ward said on Thursday that "the timetable for what I have set to get to mechanically what I need to do is still on schedule" despite the injury.